Travelers in the province of Utrecht have experienced many problems with public transport in recent weeks. As a result, some trips did not run, there were delays, and unclear travel information. The problems have two causes: startup issues with the new timetable and problems due to extreme winter weather.
With the start of the new timetable on December 14, 2025, some startup problems were to be expected. Similar issues occurred during previous changes in other regions. However, the type and scale of problems were greater than anticipated. At times, this caused many cancellations, delays, and confusion for travelers.
Startup problems with new timetable
Carriers Transdev and Keolis, who operate together under the name U-OV with the new timetable, indicate that they themselves are not satisfied with the situation. The quality and reliability of public transport did not meet their standards for travelers and staff. They apologize for this.
After a difficult start, both carriers have worked hard to improve the situation. Operating a timetable is a complex process requiring good planning of personnel, vehicles, and technology. The transition to emission-free electric buses makes this even more challenging.
The public transport system is sensitive to problems. If one component fails, for example due to staff illness, technical failures, or traffic congestion, this can quickly lead to more delays and cancellations. This can be compared to a chain reaction. At the same time, if problems are better controlled, the timetable can improve quickly.
Extra attention
The good news is that many startup problems have now largely been resolved. Real-time travel information at stops, on buses, and in journey planners within the Utrecht Binnen concession is working better again. Problems with line numbers on the outside of buses are also likely to be resolved this week after software updates.
The absence of this information previously caused extra waiting times at stops. It has become clear that communication to travelers could have been better. Extra attention is now being paid to this. For the Utrecht Binnen concession, Transdev will introduce a new bus and staff planning in February, which is expected to make service execution less vulnerable and more reliable. Until this is implemented, service reliability may still be lower.
Major impact of extreme winter weather
Besides startup problems, winter weather also had a significant impact on public transport. For example, on Monday, January 5, the province of Utrecht experienced heavy snowfall, more than other parts of the country. This caused additional disruptions to bus services here.
The decision to operate or not is carefully considered by carriers. A special team monitors safety day and night. Test runs are conducted to check road conditions. On several days, carriers decided not to operate parts of the timetable because it was unsafe. This is very inconvenient for travelers, but safety was and remains the priority.
The carriers emphasize that they want nothing more than to bring travelers safely to their destinations. They regret that this was not always possible due to circumstances.
More information and explanation about the decision-making on whether to operate can be found on the U-OV website.
external linkRead the news report from U-OV
For press information:
jelmer.geerds@provincie-utrecht.nl
06 42 47 30 33