My complaint:
Today (20/07/13) i took the 12:57 Sprinter from Den Haag Centraal to Haarlem, in the hopes of changing to the 13:01 Intercity to Amsterdam Centraal, as that seemed the quickest option, as i needed to get to Amsterdam Centraal as soon as possible.
Firstly, the train was late leaving Den Haag CS ; One minute later than scheduled ,(i know 2-3 minute late normally shouldn’t matter, but if it means missing a connection, then no, please run on time) the conductor entered the train, not to lock the doors, but rather to have a minute-long conversation with the driver, wasting more time, before coming back to blow the whistle + lock the doors ; Like why can’t you talk to the driver after the already late train has departed?
When the train arrived at Laan Van NOI, i exited the train quickly and went to see on the other platform (no. 6 i think?) where Intercity trains to Amterdam stop, and the indicator board still said the 13:01 Intercity to Amsterdam hadn’t left yet…….except the platform was empty, and when i looked into the distance, i saw that i indeed HAD missed the 13:01 Intercity after all had left, and the indicator board was slow on updating the information.
My natural instinct, of course, was to get back on the Sprinter, which i tried to, but JUST as i approach the automatically closing doors (the green light was still lit on the open-door button), the conductor, who decided to suddenly move to the other end of the train LOCKS the door on me, like really, just when i’m about to re-board the train? Not a very considerate action on her part.
Another 15 minutes lost, waiting at Laan van NOI for the next Intercity, great. This “journey”, taking the :27 / :57 Sprinter from Den Haag CS, changing at Laan van NOI for the :31 / :01 Intercity to Amsterdam CS can prove one of the most quickest ways to get to Amsterdam CS if you miss other Intercity’s at Den Haag CS, and making the interchange at Laan van NOI is VERY possible/easy:IF the Sprinter leaves Den Haag at the correct time (or earlier) ; not a minute later.
NS trains almost always run on time, i am happy to say- But when they don’t, and you have to be somewhere in a hurry, it is so frustrating, especially when you know that they have run on time almost every other trip where that didn’t matter.
Desired solution:
No real solution possible to this now of course, but it would be nice if you departed on time more consistently according to the time-table. Or in this case, can the conductor ensure they get to the train soon enough to allow an on-time departure?
The conductor locking the door on me at Laan van NOI today, that was plain rude, not happy at all about that, i would expect more customer friendly service from you, as i\'ve always thought of the NS as customer friendly people. Well, most of them at least.
