Rerouting Leiden to Utrecht adds about 10 minutes: no trains between Alphen and Bodegraven for nine months from 12 October

Anyone commuting between Leiden and Utrecht meets a cut line from 12 October 2026. The Gouwe railway bridge at Alphen aan den Rijn, officially Spoorbrug Gouwsluis, is being replaced, and until mid-July 2027 there are no trains at all between Alphen aan den Rijn and Bodegraven. The useful part is that the two alternatives do not cost the same. NS states that travellers between Leiden Centraal and Utrecht Centraal can reroute via Amsterdam Zuid and Schiphol Airport for about 10 minutes of extra travel time, while it also advises allowing up to roughly 30 minutes overall, which is the replacement-bus leg. That 20-minute gap each way, 40 minutes a day, repeats for nine months, so it is worth fixing your default route now rather than deciding each morning.

• The two routes in numbers: rerouting via Amsterdam Zuid and Schiphol adds about 10 minutes, while NS says to allow up to about 30 minutes for the bus leg. Three office days a week is roughly two hours of difference per week. Put your own number of commuting days into that and you have your figure.
• The buses are not the only change. On weekdays during off-peak hours NS is doubling the Leiden Centraal to Alphen aan den Rijn service from two to four trains an hour, to connect better with the Alphen to Gouda line and make the bus and train transfer at Alphen and Bodegraven more reliable. Those transfers at Alphen will be cross-platform where possible.
• A different stretch gets busier. NS expects extra passengers on the Alphen to Gouda line at peak times, especially on Tuesday and Thursday which are already the busiest days, with fuller trains between Waddinxveen and Gouda. Checking the crowding indication in the journey planner before you leave beats discovering it on the platform.
• Cyclists get a temporary concession. The number of OV-fietsen at Alphen aan den Rijn and Bodegraven is being increased for the period, and during the closure travellers who take an OV-fiets between those two stations in either direction pay no extra charge for returning the bike at a different location. That charge normally applies, so these nine months are the exception.

Hokimi field note: save the reroute as your default in the NS app today, then decide whether to move your office days off Tuesday and Thursday. Both are one-off decisions that cover nine months. Sources: source 1 and source 2, checked on 2026-09-23.