ROTTERDAM, 6 February 2026 – The OV-chipkaart is on its way out, and the Netherlands is moving to OVpay: tapping in and out with a new OV-pass or your own bank card. For you in Rotterdam, that means the same familiar motion at the gate or validator, but with a different system behind it.

The change is being framed as a necessary replacement because the OV-chipkaart technology is now considered outdated. OVpay is positioned as its successor, alongside paying with your debit card.

What changes for travel in Rotterdam

The basics stay recognisable: you tap a card against the reader, and you are good to go. OVpay covers travel across the Netherlands on train, bus, tram and metro, so you will see it across Rotterdam’s public transport network as well.

Instead of relying on the OV-chipkaart, you will use either a new OV-pass (OV-pas) or your own bank card (betaalpas) to check in and out.

OVpay account replaces the old routine

With the new OV-pass, the idea is that more of the admin moves online. You manage settings such as age-related discounts through an OVpay account, rather than handling it through the older OV-chipkaart set-up.

You also top up balance inside your OVpay account, meaning you do not need to go to a ticket machine just to add credit.

Costs and validity of the OV-pass

The new OV-pass costs €6 and is valid for five years. If you want one, you can order it via: https://ovpay.nl/ov-pas

For broader information about the system, OVpay points people to: https://www.ovpay.nl/

Rotterdam residents can travel for free by bus, tram and metro if they are aged 4 to 11 or are AOW eligible. This guide explains who qualifies, when the free travel applies, where it is valid, and how to arrange it.

Who qualifies

• Children aged 4 to 11 who are registered in Rotterdam and hold a personal OV-chipkaart. Children travel free only when accompanied by a paying adult, all day, every day.
• AOW-eligible residents registered in Rotterdam with a personal OV-chipkaart.

Where it is valid

• All RET buses, trams and metro lines A, B, C and D within the RET network.
• On metro line E, validity runs between Slinge and Berkel Westpolder.
• Not valid on RET night buses (BOB bus).

When you can travel

• Children: all day, every day, with a paying adult.
• AOW-eligible residents: on weekdays from 09.00, and all day at weekends and on national holidays.

How to arrange it

• Children: apply through the municipality’s page for free public transport for children, then load the product onto the child’s personal OV-chipkaart at a top-up point.
• AOW-eligible residents: apply through the municipality’s page for AOW free travel, or use the invitation letter if received. Load the product onto a personal OV-chipkaart at a top-up point.

Rules that are easy to miss

• Always check in and check out with your OV-chipkaart, even if the journey is free.
• The children’s product cannot be combined with travel-on-account services such as NS Flex.
• Accompaniment means a paying adult must be travelling with the child.

Extra arrangements for rozenburg

Rozenburg has additional measures operated by EBS.

• Children can use a free Rozenburg child day ticket valid on lines 105 and 115, and on all EBS buses in Voorne-Putten and Rozenburg.
• AOW-eligible residents in Rozenburg receive a free travel product for all EBS buses in Voorne-Putten and Rozenburg.

Practical examples

• A family trip on metro E from Slinge towards The Hague is free for eligible children up to Berkel Westpolder.
• A Saturday visit across town on lines A, B, C or D is free for children with a paying adult, and for AOW-eligible residents all day.
• Late-night travel on BOB buses is excluded, so a regular fare applies.

Quick checklist before you go

1. Are you registered in Rotterdam and do you have a personal OV-chipkaart?
2. If travelling with children, is the accompanying adult paying for their own ticket?
3. Have you loaded the free travel product onto the card at a top-up point?
4. Will your route stay within the valid network, including the Slinge–Berkel Westpolder limit on line E?

Frequently asked questions

Can a child travel alone for free?
No. A paying adult must accompany the child.

Do I still need to check in and out if the journey is free?
Yes. Always check in and out with your OV-chipkaart.

Is the free travel valid on night services?
No. BOB buses are not included.

What time can AOW-eligible residents start travelling for free on weekdays?
From 09.00. At weekends and on national holidays, free travel is valid all day.

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.

ROTTERDAM, 7 November 2025 — Over the coming weekend (Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 November 2025), the city’s primary rail hub, Rotterdam Centraal, will be a no-go for trains. Both Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) and ProRail warn that no trains will run to, from or through Rotterdam Centraal in that time.

What exactly is happening?

According to NS, the disruption is the result of significant engineering works: the train-safety system in the technical area around Rotterdam Centraal is reaching the end of its lifespan and must be replaced. The replacement is scheduled for late 2026, but weekend closures such as this are already required to ensure safe progress.

On 8 and 9 November, all rail traffic through the station and on the HSL (high-speed link) will be suspended. NS advises passengers to use alternative routes and to plan well ahead.  

What this means for Rotterdam’s travellers

If your journey begins or ends at Rotterdam Centraal over the weekend, you must assume no direct train service. This applies to intercity, sprinter, and even high-speed lines.

Alternative routes: Use metro, tram or bus services operated by RET, and/or travelling via other stations such as Schiedam Centrum or Delft Campus may be necessary. NS has made a list of such alternative paths in its travel planner.

Tickets: If you are booked with NS for travel involving Rotterdam Centraal during this period, monitor the NS app or website for updates. Use of metro or tram may be permitted under special arrangements depending on your ticket type — verify in advance. 

Why this disruption is significant for Rotterdam

Rotterdam Centraal is not just a local station: it is a major interchange for the region, the country and international travel. The suspension of all train movement for two days will affect commuters, weekend travellers, international visitors and business traffic alike. Besides rail-users, other transport modes and the city centre itself may feel the effects when thousands of travellers adjust their plans.

For a city such as Rotterdam—where connectivity is vital—this kind of infrastructure intervention shows how critical the rail system is to daily life. At the same time, it underscores the need for advance planning when major upgrades occur.

What you can do to minimise disruption

• Check your journey: Use the NS “Travel Planner” (Reisplanner) or app before departure to verify whether your route is affected and whether alternative connections are offered.
• Consider alternatives: If you were planning to travel via Rotterdam Centraal, see whether you can depart or arrive via another station, or use bus/tram/metro for part of your journey.
• Allow extra time: Even when alternative routes are available, expect additional travel time and congestion on replacement services.
• Stay informed: NS and ProRail state that disruptions may evolve. Real-time notifications via the app or website are strongly advised.