Regional transport strike, impact varies by region
The nationwide public transport strike has begun; passengers should expect cancellations and delays.
Follow-up to: Regional transport to strike on Wednesday, city buses to run Tuesday, 13 October 2026, 17:02
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Workers in regional transport walked off the job on Wednesday over a new collective labour agreement. The strike lasts until 00:00 on Thursday 15 October, but the effects vary by operator and region.
The strike began at midnight and is the first in an announced series of actions. Trade unions FNV and CNV are taking action because negotiations on a new collective labour agreement for public transport have broken down. The precise scale of the disruption will only become clear during the morning. Employees decide for themselves whether to strike, meaning operators cannot guarantee a full emergency timetable.
Regional buses are not running in many parts of the Netherlands. According to journey planner 9292, GVB city buses are running in Amsterdam, as are HTM buses in The Hague. Trams and metro services are running in Rotterdam, while RET buses and neighbourhood buses are not. Utrecht, Almere and various regions served by Arriva, Qbuzz, Keolis and RRReis also have limited or uncertain services.
Regional rail services are also affected. Arriva trains in Limburg are not running, for example, while regional trains operated by RRReis and Blauwnet are running less frequently. By contrast, NS trains are running as normal, according to the operator. NS rail replacement buses are also outside the strike.
Operators advise passengers to check their journey shortly before departure. Transdev, which operates with Connexxion and Hermes among others, says it will run as many services as possible with employees who are working. According to the company, which services operate may change from moment to moment and from one location to another.
The unions' demands go beyond pay. FNV cites, among other things, uncertainty over rosters, less say for works councils, changes to break arrangements and reduced provisions for older employees. The union wants proposals that worsen employment conditions withdrawn and is calling for a 6 per cent pay rise.
Employers and trade unions agree that a new collective labour agreement is needed, but disagree about the costs and consequences of the demands. Operator Transdev says it wants to continue talks and warns that the sector's financial room for manoeuvre is limited. The unions say earlier rounds of negotiations have produced insufficient results.
For passengers, the strike mainly means uncertainty: a scheduled bus or regional train may run, but may also be cancelled shortly before departure. The actions have been announced as a series of weekly strikes, but when this strike began it was not yet known when the next strike day would take place.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- FNV and CNV have called a nationwide strike in regional transport for 14 October.
- According to CNV, the strike lasts from 00:00 on 14 October until 00:00 on 15 October.
- The effects vary by operator; according to NS, NS trains are running.
- Negotiations on the collective labour agreement have broken down and the unions have announced further action.
- Operators say they want to run as many services as possible with staff who are not on strike.
Left
Arguments Employees can exert pressure only by taking collective action. From this perspective, if rosters become less predictable and older employees receive less protection, workload and staff shortages will increase further.
Values Collective bargaining power, financial security, good public services and worker protection.
Consequences Without improved employment conditions, greater staff turnover, sickness absence and the erosion of public transport threaten to follow; the temporary inconvenience for passengers is outweighed by this.
Centre
Arguments The strike is a legitimate means in a stalled collective-labour dispute, but passengers and employers have an interest in talks resuming quickly. A compromise could consist of pay agreements and better rosters, tied to feasibility and financial clarity.
Values Continuity, proportionality, affordability and consultation between employees and employers.
Consequences A prolonged conflict could harm passengers and regional connectivity, while an agreement without a structural solution would merely postpone the conflict.
Right
Arguments Passengers should not bear the cost of an employment dispute. Employers must retain room to adjust rosters and operations, especially in a sector with limited financial margins; trade unions should be more restrained in calling nationwide action.
Values Reliable services, freedom of choice, financial discipline and responsibility towards passengers and commissioning authorities.
Consequences Repeated strikes could reduce confidence in public transport and push passengers towards cars or taxis; higher labour costs could also result in more expensive or less frequent services.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The article's core claims are confirmed by trade unions, operators, 9292, NS and NOS. The text clearly distinguishes between established arrangements and the still-uncertain regional effects.
- confirmed The strike began at midnight on 14 October and lasts 24 hours. — CNV states that the strike runs from 00:00 on 14 October until 00:00 on 15 October. source
- confirmed The effects vary by operator and region. — 9292 and Transdev provide different expected timetables by region and emphasise that services may be cancelled. source
- confirmed NS trains and NS rail replacement buses are outside the strike. — NS reports that train services and rail replacement buses will continue to run according to the timetable. source
- confirmed Trams and metro services are running in Rotterdam, but RET buses and neighbourhood buses are not. — This regional detail appears in 9292's current information. source
- confirmed FNV cites roster uncertainty, break arrangements and provisions for older employees as issues in the dispute. — FNV mentions these subjects in its overview of the collective-labour demands. source
- confirmed FNV is calling for a 6 per cent pay rise. — The demand is stated explicitly on FNV's strike page. source
- confirmed The precise impact was not yet fully known at the start of the morning. — NOS, Transdev and 9292 report that the final number of cancelled services depends on participation and will become clear by region. source
Editor's note
It is certain that the 24-hour strike began on 14 October and that regional buses and some regional trains are affected. The precise impact varies by region and was not yet fully known at the start of the morning; NS trains are running according to the timetable.Sources
- Stakingen in het streekvervoer — 9292
- Staking voor goede cao Openbaar Vervoer — FNV
- Staking 14 oktober OV - laatste update — CNV
- Staking streekvervoer op woensdag 14 oktober — Transdev
- Morgen eerste stakingsdag in streekvervoer, ov in grote steden rijdt wel — NOS
- Staking streekvervoer op woensdag 14 oktober — NS
The story so far
- Tuesday, 13 October 2026, 17:02 Regional transport to strike on Wednesday, city buses to run
- Wednesday, 14 October 2026, 05:57 Regional transport strike, impact varies by region (this article)
More on this in Dutch media
- Het Parool — „streekvervoer staking”
- Trouw — „streekvervoer staking”
- NRC — „streekvervoer staking”