Train commuters show little appetite for alternative bus service

Train operator NS has introduced buses on a commuter route into Amsterdam as it struggles to cope with overcrowding on peak-hour services. Passengers between Castricum and Amsterdam Sloterdijk are being offered the bus service as an alternative. The bus takes around 70 minutes compared to the 20-minute train journey, but costs €1 rather than €4.80 and passengers receive a voucher for food and drink. Older trains which were due to be taken out of service are on standby to be used in emergencies, while the seating on Sprinter trains has been rearranged to fit in more second-class seats.