Train stations in Zwolle

Zwolle is the station for the whole city, and the old town begins a few minutes' walk from the platforms. Intercity trains run from here to Schiphol, Utrecht, Arnhem, Groningen and Leeuwarden.

Trains from Zwolle

Times are for the timetable that runs until 12 December 2026; a new timetable starts on 13 December. NS Intercity trains run as often every day of the week, though the first weekend departures are later.

• Schiphol Airport: an NS Intercity twice an hour, direct, in 1 hour 14 minutes.
• Amsterdam Centraal: no direct train. Change at Almere Centrum (1 hour 6 minutes in all) or at Amersfoort (1 hour 10 minutes).
• Utrecht Centraal: an NS Intercity twice an hour, direct, in 50 minutes.
• Arnhem and Nijmegen: an NS Intercity twice an hour, direct, 59 minutes to Arnhem Centraal and 1 hour 15 minutes to Nijmegen.
• Groningen: an NS Intercity twice an hour in 56 minutes. The NS Sprinter takes 1 hour 5 minutes.
• Leeuwarden: an NS Intercity twice an hour in 56 minutes. The NS Sprinter takes 1 hour.
• Lelystad Centrum: the Schiphol Intercity takes 25 minutes, the NS Sprinter 30.
• Enschede: Keolis runs Sprinters under the Blauwnet name twice an hour in about 1 hour 4 minutes. On weekdays a Keolis Intercity also runs once an hour, at 42 minutes past, in 47 minutes. At weekends only Sprinters run, in 1 hour 5 minutes.
• Kampen: a Keolis Sprinter twice an hour in 11 minutes.
• Emmen: Arriva runs a fast Sneltrein once an hour in 52 to 53 minutes and a stopping train once an hour in 57 to 58 minutes, also under the Blauwnet name.

On weekdays the first trains leave at about 05:20 to Utrecht (arriving 06:09) and Enschede, 05:46 towards Amsterdam (arriving 06:52, with a change at Almere), 05:52 to Emmen, 05:53 to Groningen and 05:57 to Leeuwarden. The last useful trains are 23:19 towards Amsterdam (arriving 00:29), 23:49 to Utrecht, 23:48 to Leeuwarden, 23:52 to Enschede, 00:22 to Emmen and 00:46 to Groningen. Intercity service to Utrecht starts later at weekends: 06:49 on Saturday and 07:49 on Sunday.

Night train

On Friday and Saturday nights Arriva runs a night train from Zwolle at 01:21 via Lelystad, Almere and Amsterdam Centraal (02:19) to Schiphol (02:41), returning from Schiphol at 02:45 to reach Zwolle at 04:01. Buy a ticket in the glimble or 9292 app: €10 to Amsterdam, €15 to Schiphol. You cannot tap in with a card. It does not run on the night starting Saturday 14 November or on the nights starting Friday 4, Saturday 5, Friday 11 and Saturday 12 December 2026.

Works in November and December 2026

• Evening of Sunday 8 November, from 19:30: fewer Intercity trains run between Lelystad and Schiphol, and the direct Schiphol train takes about 1 hour 15 minutes.
• Early on Sunday 15 November, until 09:03: buses replace trains between Weesp and Almere Centrum and between Weesp and Naarden-Bussum, so the trip to Amsterdam takes much longer.
• From 04:00 on Saturday 21 November to 02:00 on Monday 23 November: fewer Intercity trains run between Lelystad and Duivendrecht and the Amsterdam timetable changes. The direct Schiphol Intercity keeps running.
• From 04:00 on Saturday 21 November to 02:00 on Monday 30 November: buses replace trains between Meppel and Leeuwarden. Trains still run from Zwolle to Meppel.
• From 01:00 on Friday 11 December to 05:00 on Monday 21 December: buses replace trains between Zwolle and Lelystad Centrum, so there is no direct train to Schiphol. Travel via Amersfoort, or take the bus to Lelystad and the train on from there.

There are no other planned works on the lines from Zwolle up to 4 January 2027, apart from the night of 11 to 12 November, when buses replace the trains to Groningen after 01:00.

From the station to the centre

Leave the front of the station into Stationsweg, turn left into Burgemeester van Roijensingel and cross the Nieuwe Havenbrug over the Stadsgracht. The street continues as Luttekestraat into the centre, a few minutes' walk. You can also walk through the Sassenpoort, the only gate left of the medieval city wall. The Grote Markt, the main square with the Grote Kerk, is in the old town.

Fourteen city bus lines leave from the station. Public transport bikes can be rented at the underground bicycle parking in front, and the station has lifts, luggage lockers and ticket machines.

Tickets

Tap in and out with a contactless debit card, credit card or phone on NS trains, on Blauwnet trains run by Arriva and Keolis, and on buses. When you change between them, check out of one and check in to the other, or you pay a second boarding fare; between two Blauwnet trains you do not.

An NS one-way e-ticket is valid until 04:00 the next day and must be bought before the trip begins. If you forget to check out, you can still do it at a gate or pole up to 6 hours later; after that you pay a standard fare.

Rail passes and reservations

As of October 2026, Interrail Global and Benelux passes cover NS Intercity and Sprinter trains and the Blauwnet trains of Arriva and Keolis, with no reservation. The Benelux Pass is not valid for residents of the Netherlands. The Arriva night train to Schiphol is not covered by any pass.