NEWS
Waterbus Will Continue to Operate: Here's What This Means for You
Aqualiner and the provincial government are proposing to discontinue two of the four Waterbus routes—which together account for less than 10% of the total number of passengers—effective October 6. This means that more than 90% of public water transportation services will remain in operation.
Dear traveler,
Waterbus has been in the news a lot lately.
Although passenger numbers have continued to recover since the COVID-19 crisis, costs are rising even faster. This means difficult choices must be made. Aqualiner and the provincial government propose to discontinue two of the four Waterbus lines—which together account for less than 10% of the total number of passengers—effective October 6. This will ensure that more than 90% of public water transportation services remain in operation. And we will continue to make an important contribution to commuting, tourism, and reducing motorized traffic on the roads.
The provincial executive (Gedeputeerde Staten) submitted this proposal to the Provincial Council (PS). On September 24, 2025, the Provincial Council approved it.
The changes
- Line 20(Dordrecht–Rotterdam) andLine 22(Dordrecht–Papendrecht–Zwijndrecht) will continue to operate as usual.
- Line 23(Sliedrecht-Dordrecht) has been canceled; passengers can use alternatives such as buses and trains.
- Line 21(Rotterdam-Kinderdijk) will become a tourist line and will now focus on the large number of tourists staying in Rotterdam. Starting in October, this line will operate only on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays for the time being. More information is availablehereor on theWaterShuttle website.
What does this mean for you?
For lines 20 and 22, little will change: you can buy tickets online or check in and out using your OV-chipkaart or debit card at the terminals on the pontoon. Line 21 is no longer a regular public transit line and operates on Fridays and weekends. You can buy tickets for line 21 online or on board, but no longer at the public transit terminal. Residents of Kinderdijk are eligible for a resident discount, which means the ticket price remains the same as the current public transportation ticket price. Line 23 is being discontinued, but you can use Qbuzz buses and trains (dmg.qbuzz.nl) as an alternative.
We understand that passengers on lines 21 and 23, in particular, will be most affected by these changes. We regret this and would like to apologize. We had to make this decision in order to continue serving the vast majority of our frequent Waterbus passengers. That is what we stand for and why we exist. And that is also why our employees look forward to coming to work every day.
Additional Staff for Road Closures and Events
When roads, bridges, and viaducts in the region are closed, we assist Rijkswaterstaat with scheduled maintenance work. By providing replacement ferry services, we ensure that residents in the region can still travel to work, visit family, and attend sports events or meet friends. This will begin with the renovation of the Bridge over the Noord in early 2026. We will also step in to help with other events upon request.
Welcome aboard
You are and will always be most welcome aboard one of our water buses. We are proud of your high customer ratings; they are the highest of any form of public transportation in the Netherlands!
We appreciate your trust and are committed to maintaining it.
Peter Waterman
Director, Waterbus
Check out ourcurrent scheduleor use ourtrip plannerto easily view your route and departure times.More information about the winter schedule, which takes effect on October 6, will also be available on our website soon.
