The Netherlands to be left without public transport on 9 September: 24-hour strike announced
Passengers planning to travel through the Netherlands on 9 September will have to factor in serious disruption. The strike covers the railways, urban and regional public transport, and those called upon to stop work include employees of NS and ProRail.
Dutch unions are preparing a national 24-hour public transport strike for Wednesday, 9 September 2026. FNV has called on employees in rail, regional and urban transport to take action, while CNV has confirmed the participation of its members in public transport, including NS and rail infrastructure manager ProRail.
Trains, buses, trams and the underground under strike pressure
According to information from the national public transport planner 9292, the strike is expected to last for 24 hours and cover public transport nationwide. For regional transport, the action begins with the start of the day shift, while FNV is expected to announce the exact start and end times of the strike for city and rail transport during September.
The reason for the action is not negotiations involving just a single transport company. Unions are protesting against planned cuts in the Dutch social security system, specifically changes relating to unemployment and disability benefits. FNV states that this involves planned savings of 6.8 billion euros.
CNV has, in turn, confirmed that its members will also join the action after the government refused to back down from the planned measures.
A problem for air passengers and tour operators
For the tourism industry, 9 September will not only be a problem because of cancelled trains. Disruptions could affect hotel transfers, business travel, group programmes and the arrivals of passengers who rely on rail and urban connections after their flight.
Particularly sensitive are itineraries via Amsterdam and Schiphol Airport, where public transport is an important part of passenger distribution to the city and other Dutch destinations.
