NS to run more trains between Amsterdam and Rhine-Ruhr region

The Netherlands’ national rail company, NS, has announced plans to run more services between the Netherlands and Germany. Here’s what we know so far:

NS plans more trains connecting the Netherlands and Germany

Currently, if you want to travel between the Netherlands and Germany by rail, you have to rely on Deutsche Bahn ICE trains, which often face delays - only 52,1 percent of Deutsche Bahn’s long-distance trains were on time in January 2026. 

Now, NS and Deutsche Bahn are looking into running the blue-and-yellow Dutch trains between the two countries for the first time, starting in 2028. According to NU.nl, the new generation NS Intercity trains would run six times a day in both directions. 

Services would stop in Amsterdam, Utrecht and Arnhem before crossing the border at Zevenaar. While it is still up in the air which German station in the Rhine-Ruhr region will be a destination, options in the area could include Cologne, Düsseldorf and Dortmund. 

NS still needs track approval

At the moment, Deutsche Bahn’s ICE trains travel between Amsterdam and Cologne every two hours. The new train service would not replace the current one run by Deutsche Bahn, but would run in addition to it. 

However, further planning is required, such as requesting track capacity from ProRail. NS recently filed a notification with the Authority for Consumers & Markets (ACM). "This must be done 18 months in advance," reports NS, meaning the Rhine-Ruhr could be better connected with Amsterdam in early 2028.