Amsterdam metro gets new line numbers M1 to M4: what it means for ferry passengers

The Amsterdam metro is getting new line numbers M1 to M4, and that indirectly affects everyone who crosses the water on the Amsterdam ferries. Vervoerregio Amsterdam and GVB announced on 21 September 2026 that the familiar numbers 50 to 54 will disappear once the new metro network starts with the 2028 timetable. The line colours are changing at the same time, so they are easier to tell apart for passengers with low vision or colour blindness. For ferry passengers this is not news about the boats themselves, but it is news about the connections the crossing depends on in practice: for many people in Noord the metro is the second half of the same journey. This article sets out what changes, when it happens and where you will actually notice it as a ferry user.

Which new line numbers the metro gets

The renumbering is simpler than it first sounds, because only four lines remain. The Noord/Zuidlijn, currently known as M52, becomes the new M1. Line M51 is renumbered M2, while lines M50 and M53 are merged in the new network into a single line that continues as M3. Line M54 completes the set and becomes M4, leaving a network numbered straight through from 1 to 4. According to Vervoerregio Amsterdam, research shows that this sequence is easy to understand and remember, not only for daily commuters but also for people with low literacy and for visitors who do not know the city.

The second part of the change is about colour. The line colours are being adjusted so they are easier to see for people who are partially sighted or colour blind, a group that has to rely on colour coding every day at a busy interchange such as Centraal Station. Elise Moeskops, chair of the Vervoerregio, called the moment a notable one, because this is the first time since line numbers were introduced in 1990 that both the numbering and the colours are being improved. The immediate trigger is practical: because M50 and M53 are merging in the new network anyway, line maps, signage and journey planners all have to be updated regardless. That overhaul has been used to make the numbering more logical at the same time, rather than adding yet another exception to it.

Why this matters for the ferries as well

A metro line changing its name does not alter a single sailing time on the IJ, and yet it is relevant for anyone using the ferries. For most passengers the crossing is not a destination but a link: from the landing at Centraal Station you carry on by train, tram or metro, and in the other direction a large share of passengers walks to the quay straight off the metro. The line that will be called M1 is moreover exactly the line that runs under the IJ to Amsterdam Noord, which makes it the most important fixed connection alongside the ferries. People living in Noord choose between that metro and the boat trip by trip, depending on destination, weather and crowding. A name change on that line is therefore not a detail for ferry users, but a change to the menu they pick from every day.

On top of that, the ferries and the metro absorb each other's problems. When something goes wrong on the water, passengers switch to the metro, and when there are works underground the decks fill up instead. How strong that interplay is became clear when everything stopped at once on 9 September; our review of the ferry strike shows what happens when both options disappear together. The years in which the new metro network is introduced also cover the announced long closure of the IJ tunnel, which increases pressure on both the ferries and the metro network. Clear line numbers are not a cosmetic matter in such a period, because diversion advice then has to be communicated quickly and unambiguously.

What is not changing: the F lines of the ferries

To be clear: the announcement concerns the metro only. Nothing has been made public in this coverage about the ferry lines, which currently carry an F number. The connection between Centraal Station and Buiksloterweg therefore keeps the name F3 for now, and the other ferry lines keep their current designations too. That makes sense, because the reason for the renumbering lies in the merger of two metro lines and not in the ferry network. It is worth remembering, though, that line designations can still be adjusted during a major network change, so check the official GVB information if you are unsure.

In practical terms this means nothing changes about planning a ferry trip before 2028. The boats keep running to their own timetable, including the expansion that took effect on 1 September on the Oostveer and the Distelwegveer among others. The busiest connections, such as the one to the NDSM wharf, also keep their existing line number and their existing landing. The only adjustment passengers will eventually see is on the signs and maps where the metro and the ferries appear together. On those combined overviews the F numbers will sit next to M1 to M4 instead of next to M50 to M54.

What ferry passengers will actually notice

The practical consequences are still some way off, but they are predictable. In 2028 new line maps will appear at the interchanges around the IJ, and anyone used to navigating by the number 52 will have to swap it for M1. That sounds minor, but it is precisely the kind of change travellers stumble over in the first weeks, especially during rush hour when you are trying to catch a connection to the boat. Journey planners and apps will adopt the new numbers, so people travelling digitally will notice little; people travelling on habit and memory will notice more. Our ferry apps focus on the departure times of the boats themselves, but connecting metro references there will follow the new numbers in due course as well.

For tourists and occasional visitors the gain is probably largest, and that touches the ferries directly. The boats to Noord are free and popular with visitors, which means the landings at Centraal Station fill up on sunny days with people who do not know their way. A metro network that simply runs from 1 to 4 makes it easier to spread that flow across alternatives and to pick the right connection on the way. How concentrated the usage around a handful of landings is can be seen in our figures on ferry use and crowding. We collect more background on the ferries and the plans for the crossing on the news overview.

Pont is not an official GVB product and is not affiliated with GVB, Vervoerregio Amsterdam or the City of Amsterdam. This article summarises public reporting about the announcement of 21 September 2026 and does not contain official timetable information. Dates and details of the new metro network may still change before it is introduced in 2028, and no rights can be derived from this summary. The line numbers mentioned here only apply from the 2028 timetable onwards, so they are not yet current travel information. Always check current departure times and line designations through the ferry apps or GVB's official travel information before heading to the landing or the platform.