Dutch rail operator Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) wants to prohibit passengers from placing bags, suitcases and other hand luggage on empty seats, even when trains are quiet, in a bid to make more seats available and reduce one of the biggest sources of frustration among travellers.
The railway company has asked the Dutch National Public Transport Consumer Consultation (Locov) for advice on a proposed amendment to its general conditions of carriage. If approved, passengers would no longer be allowed to use empty seats for luggage. Instead, bags should be placed under the seat, on passengers’ laps, in the luggage racks or, in the case of larger suitcases, in designated luggage areas.
Under the current rules, passengers are allowed to place hand luggage on an empty seat until another traveller asks to sit there. According to NS, that approach is no longer working in practice.
In its request for advice to Locov, the railway operator says that passengers increasingly feel uncomfortable asking others to remove bags from seats. As a result, available seats often remain unusable despite crowded trains. By introducing a blanket ban on luggage occupying seats, NS hopes more passengers will be able to find a place to sit without having to confront fellow travellers.
The company also plans to launch a public awareness campaign encouraging travellers to keep seats free for people rather than baggage.
No fines, but removal from the train remains possible
Although NS cannot issue fines to passengers who place luggage on seats, staff can require travellers who refuse to comply with the rules to leave the train.
The operator’s general conditions already stipulate that hand luggage may not exceed 85 centimetres in height, width or depth. Larger suitcases are expected to be stored in designated luggage areas rather than in seating sections.
One of passengers’ biggest annoyances
The proposal has received support from passenger organisation Rover, which says luggage occupying seats consistently ranks among the three biggest irritations reported by rail travellers.
Rover director Daan Zieren told Dutch broadcaster NOS that passenger behaviour has changed in recent years. Whereas travellers previously removed their bags when trains became busy, many now pretend not to notice that others are looking for seats by staring out of the window or simply refuse to move their belongings.
Head train guard welcomes tougher rules
NS head train guard Lucienne also welcomed the proposed change, saying she had been encouraged by the largely positive public response after the plans became known.
Writing on Facebook, she said it had become increasingly common for passengers to occupy seats with backpacks, shopping bags, sports bags and suitcases, even when the train was not full. In her view, seats are intended for people, not luggage, and it is neither courteous nor hygienic to place bags that have been on station platforms or wet ground onto train upholstery.
She also criticised passengers who effectively turn four-seat bays into private workspaces by surrounding themselves with luggage, describing the practice as inconsiderate towards other travellers.
According to Lucienne, most suitcases fit comfortably in the overhead luggage racks. If a suitcase does not fit there, it is officially too large and should be placed in the vestibule or between the backs of opposing four-seat seating areas. Under no circumstances should luggage be left in the aisle, she stressed, because train aisles serve as emergency escape routes and must remain clear at all times.
During her own shift after the proposal was announced, Lucienne deliberately asked passengers in relatively quiet trains to remove luggage from neighbouring seats to gauge their reactions. She said virtually everyone complied without objection, even though plenty of seats remained available.
She noted that she already asks passengers to remove bags in busy trains, but believes it would be preferable if travellers automatically treated seats as seating rather than storage space. Besides making journeys more pleasant for everyone, she added with a touch of humour, keeping the seat next to you free might even allow “someone very nice” to sit beside you.
Lucienne said she would welcome the rule change, arguing that it would improve comfort for passengers while also making it easier and safer for train staff to manage seating during busy services.
