The cabinet is not planning to give any more money to state-owned railway company NS to help offset a sharp rise in ticket prices next year, public transport minister Chris Jansen has told MPs.

This year the government invested €42 million to help head off a 12% rise in ticket prices, although fares have still increased by around 6%.

Jansen told parliament he expects a similar rise in 2026 but said he has been unable to find any surplus government cash to limit the increase. Any funding would have to come from projects that have already been approved, and “the cabinet is not opting to do this,” he said.

The NS described the news as disappointing and declined to comment further. “More will become clear about what this means for public transport affordability in the coming period,” a spokesman said.