October 1, 2026 — Unions representing about 13,000 Dutch regional public transport workers have issued an ultimatum to employers. If it isn’t met, they plan to strike one day a week from mid-October until Christmas.
The details
- Unions: FNV and CNV.
- Who is affected: regional public transport staff, including workers at Arriva and Transdev.
- Deadline: employers have until Wednesday, October 7, at 12:00 to respond.
- Strike plan: if the deadline passes without agreement, the unions plan weekly strike days from October 12 until Christmas. They will announce the exact dates at short notice, so dates are TBA.
- National trains: NS (Dutch Railways) is not named in the ultimatum.
What it means for airline travelers
- Check your regional connection. If you rely on regional buses or trains (Arriva, Transdev and similar operators) to get from Schiphol, Eindhoven or Rotterdam to smaller towns, check the operator’s website the day before you travel from October 12 onward.
- Book flexibly. Strike dates may be announced only days ahead. Pick bookings you can change and have a taxi or rideshare as a backup.
- Use NS where you can. NS services are not part of this dispute, so national rail routes may be the safer option.
