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ROTTERDAM, 4 December 2025 – RET will switch to a holiday timetable in and around Rotterdam from 20 December to 4 January, with metro, tram and bus services running less often. From 5 January 2026 a new timetable comes into force, with more morning metro services, adjusted departure times and a new fast bus between Delft and station Alexander.
Rotterdam travellers will see several changes across the network at the turn of the year. The holiday period brings a reduced service on most lines, followed by a 2026 timetable that focuses on better train connections at Station Alexander and new options for passengers between Delft, Pijnacker, Lansingerland and Rotterdam.
Holiday timetable over christmas and new year
From 20 December to 4 January, RET runs a holiday timetable. During this period, metro, tram and bus services operate less frequently than on regular working days, which means journey times may be longer, especially outside peak hours.
On 25 and 26 December and on 1 January, the Sunday timetable applies across the network. Passengers heading to family visits, events in the city centre or late-night shifts are advised to check departure times carefully, as some early morning and late evening services may differ from usual.
More morning metros and changed departure times
From Monday 5 January 2026, a new metro timetable starts. Departure times across the network are being adjusted, and on working days all metro lines will move to a 10 minute service earlier in the morning. Previously, a 15 minute service applied for longer at the start of the day, which sometimes led to crowded trains on busy commuter routes.
In the evenings, on Sundays and during holiday periods, the intervals between metros on the section between De Akkers and Tussenwater will be less evenly spread. Trains will still run, but not always at exactly the same number of minutes apart, so travellers may want to plan ahead rather than relying on fixed patterns.
Tram timetable changes on lines 4, 6 and 8
Several tram lines in Rotterdam will also see adjusted departure times. Lines 4, 6 and 8 keep their familiar routes but will leave slightly earlier or later at various times of the day.
For people who use these lines to reach work, school or connections at major hubs, the changes may affect transfers by a few minutes. Checking updated timetables before the first week of January can help avoid missed connections, particularly at busy points such as Rotterdam Centraal, Beurs and Kralingse Zoom.
Bus changes in and around Rotterdam
On the bus network, a series of targeted adjustments is being made. For lines 30 (Station Alexander – Schollevaar) and 36 (Station Alexander – Kralingse Zoom), evening departures are shifted by fifteen minutes. This should provide a better link with train services at Station Alexander, giving passengers from Capelle and the surrounding neighbourhoods a smoother onward journey.
On Saturdays, line 56 (Vlaardingen West – Holy Noord) will run every ten minutes in combination with line 156 on Saturday afternoons. Line 70 (Charlois – Keizerswaard) gains an extra late journey from Keizerswaard to Charlois at 00.20, aimed at people returning home after late shopping, cinema visits or evening shifts on the south side of the city.
Route change for bus 69 in Pernis
Bus line 69 between Zuidplein and Pernis will no longer drive through the village streets. Instead, the route runs via the Hendrik Troostbaan and Butaanweg, before returning to the Vondelingenweg. This alters local access within Pernis and changes which stops are available.
As a result, several stops in the village centre are being removed: Oud Pernisseweg, Zwembad Pernis, G.A. Soetemanweg, Van Byemontsingel, Burg. Verduynstraat, Eeuwoutstraat, Cornelis van Dijckstraat and Boonstraat. Residents who previously relied on these stops will need to walk to alternative haltes on the revised route or consider other lines where available.
New fast bus 172 between Delft and Station Alexander
A notable addition to the network is new bus line 172 between Delft and Station Alexander. This fast line is made possible by the recent extension of the A16 and is aimed at providing a quicker north–south connection between Delft, Pijnacker, Lansingerland and Rotterdam’s eastern side.
At Station Alexander, passengers from Delft, Pijnacker and Lansingerland can transfer to trains towards Utrecht. Between Lansingerland and Delft, line 172 takes over most of the route previously covered by line 174. Two details are important: line 172 has two new stops in Pijnacker (Floralaan and Van Buijsenlaan) and it no longer calls at station Berkel Westpolder. Travellers who want to change to metro line E can instead do so at metro station Pijnacker Zuid.
On weekdays during the day, line 172 runs twice per hour and serves the following stops: Station Alexander, Tobias Asserlaan, Astertuin, Berkel Centrum Oost, Berkel Centrum West, Oudelandselaan, Oostmeerlaan, Ade, Pijnacker Zuid Metro, Floralaan, Van Buijsenlaan, Molengraaffsingel, Heertjeslaan, Kluyverpark, Berlageweg, Mekelpark, Aula, Julianalaan, Zuidpoort and Station Delft.
Due to works on the bus and tram lane in the TU area of Delft, line 172 will initially follow the same diversion as line 174 currently does. Within Rotterdam, the new Metaalstraat stop is not yet ready on 5 January; that stop will be created later in 2026, and until then Metaalstraat is considered cancelled.
Shortened route and new stops for line 174
Bus line 174 will be shortened at the northern end. Instead of running between Station Noord and Westpolder via Delft, it will operate between Station Noord and Berkel Westpolder only. The section of the route between Berkel Westpolder and Delft is being withdrawn and will be covered by line 172 between Pijnacker Zuid and Delft.
There are two route changes on line 174: the stop Schiehoven is being removed, and the line will add an extra stop at metro station Melanchthonweg. This means passengers can now transfer to metro line E at both Berkel Westpolder and Melanchthonweg. For people travelling between Melanchthonweg and Hillegersberg-Noord, this creates more options, including journeys that combine line 35 and 174. The Meidoornsingel stop towards Station Noord is being moved to a new location on the Wilgenplaslaan, near the bridge over the Meidoornsingel. On working days, line 174 will run once per hour.
