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The popular, cheap summer train pass from this year might become permanent. Most members of the Dutch parliament want the government to turn the temporary Nederland Dal Vrij subscription into a year-round discounted public transport pass.
What is being proposed
RTL Nieuws’s political desk found that most parties in the Tweede Kamer (the lower house) support a proposal for a permanent discounted off-peak subscription. PRO (Progressief Nederland, formerly GroenLinks-PvdA) MP Habtamu de Hoop submitted it with Pieter Grinwis (ChristenUnie), Sandra Beckerman (SP), and Ines Kostic (Party for the Animals, PvdD). It’s not just the opposition; coalition parties D66 and CDA, as well as the BBB, also support it.
The motion asks the government to work with transport operators and regional authorities to create a permanent discounted off-peak ticket for trains, buses, trams, and metros. It does not set a specific monthly price or require the same €49 deal. The government is expected to decide on the details.
Where it came from
This idea is based on a popular scheme. The Nederland Dal Vrij pass was introduced this spring because of rising energy and fuel prices. It aimed to help households with travel costs and encourage people to use public transport instead of cars. The pass came from a motion by PRO leader Jesse Klaver and others, adopted in April. It launched on 15 June and allowed unlimited second-class travel on domestic trains during off-peak hours for €49 a month. About 365,000 NS passengers bought the summer pass.
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For everyone, ‘like in Germany’
A key part of the proposal is that the subscription would be available to everyone, not just to groups like students, pensioners, or people with low incomes. “Our intention is to introduce it for everyone, just as they have in Germany,” De Hoop said, referring to Germany’s popular nationwide discounted travel ticket. “It is now up to State Secretary Annet Bertram of the CDA to work out the details. She can always deviate from the proposal.”
The cost, and what happens next
The main question is about funding. PRO has estimated that a year-round discounted train subscription would cost between €500 million and €600 million each year, much more than the €118 million spent on the temporary summer scheme. Now that most parliament members support it, the proposal goes to State Secretary Annet Bertram, who has reportedly responded positively and is already talking with transport operators.
The timing is important. NS has just announced it will raise ticket prices by an average of 4.7 percent from January. The railway also wants to talk with the government about possibly bringing back the summer Dal Vrij pass in 2027. For travellers who will pay more, a permanent, affordable off-peak pass for trains, buses, trams, and metros sounds attractive. However, how affordable it will be and how soon it arrives depends on what the government decides and if it can find the money. A parliamentary motion sets the direction, but it does not guarantee the ticket.