No Amsterdam ferries on 9 September 2026: GVB confirms full-day shutdown

There will be no Amsterdam ferries on Wednesday 9 September 2026: GVB has confirmed that its ferry skippers are joining the national public transport strike and that the boats will stay out of service all day. That removes the uncertainty that previously surrounded the announced ferry strike, when only the Noord district had picked up signals and GVB had confirmed nothing. This is not a thinned-out timetable but a complete shutdown, on the IJ as well as on the North Sea Canal. The city has now also decided that the IJ tunnel will not open to cyclists and pedestrians, making Schellingwouderbrug the designated permanent detour. This article sets out what GVB and the city have confirmed, which links disappear and what users of the Amsterdam ferries can now plan.

What GVB has definitively confirmed about 9 September

AT5 reported on 28 August 2026 that GVB itself announced that day that its ferry skippers would take part in the national action. Until then it was only known that the Noord district was seriously counting on it, without the operator saying anything. A GVB spokesperson told AT5 that the company is still investigating which alternatives it might be able to offer, but added that it will "certainly not be a half timetable". That is an important difference from earlier situations, in which GVB kept a limited service running on the busiest ferry routes despite staff shortages. The strike lasts the whole day and affects GVB's buses, trams and metros as well as the ferries, along with NS trains.

Why this shutdown differs from an ordinary disruption

During a normal disruption a single connection usually drops out and passengers can switch to another ferry or to the metro. On 9 September those fallbacks disappear at the same time, because the national action covers the entire urban transport network. Anyone who normally crosses from Centraal Station cannot fall back on the North–South metro line, and anyone who normally takes the metro cannot fall back on the boat. Mobiliteit.nl wrote on the same day that the accessibility of Amsterdam Noord comes under severe pressure as a result, and that the Noord district is examining several emergency options. The link from the NDSM wharf also disappears, leaving visitors and workers in the western part of Noord dependent on the same detours as passengers further east.

The North Sea Canal ferries are stopping too

The cancellations are not limited to the well-known IJ ferries near the city centre. Zaanstad Nieuws reported on 29 August that the GVB ferries across the North Sea Canal will also stay moored on 9 September. That mainly affects cycling commuters who normally use the Hem ferry between Zaandam and Hempontplein and reach Amsterdam West or the centre within half an hour. Without that crossing a substantial road detour is required, and the same applies to the other canal ferries that carry cars and bicycles. Passengers travelling from Zaandam or the wider Zaan region therefore cannot rely on checking the Amsterdam timetable alone.

The IJ tunnel will definitely not open as an alternative

On 31 August the City of Amsterdam definitively announced that the IJ tunnel will not open to cyclists, microcars or pedestrians on 9 September. One tunnel tube did open during an earlier ferry strike in 2019, but the city says eight accidents happened there that day. Cycle traffic has grown since then and there are more e-bikes and fatbikes, so alderman Elise Moeskops says larger speed differences have increased the safety risks. The city also says a temporary pontoon bridge is not a workable emergency solution for this day of action. Do not plan through the IJ tunnel, and use Schellingwouderbrug or postpone the journey if possible.

Which detours you can already plan for

For cyclists and pedestrians, Schellingwouderbrug is the designated permanent connection between Noord and the rest of the city, although it is a considerable detour from many neighbourhoods. The city therefore advises Amsterdam residents to work from home if possible, especially if they normally cross from Centraal Station. Motorists can use the IJ tunnel and the ring road, but should expect extra traffic because public transport will be almost entirely halted. If you do have to travel, allow plenty of extra time and check the latest situation through the ferry apps or directly with GVB shortly before you leave. Bear in mind too that the days around the strike may be busier than usual as passengers shift their trips; our figures on ferry use and crowding show how sensitive the system is to exactly that kind of shift.

This is separate from the one-skipper ferry dispute

The national strike was called against government plans to raise the state pension age faster and to cut unemployment and disability benefits, amounting to roughly 6.8 billion euros of reductions in social security. That is a different file from the debate about the one-skipper ferry trial, which caused unrest within GVB earlier this year. FNV said in an earlier statement that it recognises a 24-hour strike causes disruption, but considers the consequences of dismantling social security larger and longer-lasting. For passengers the underlying cause makes little practical difference, but it is useful to know that this day of action does not stem from a local dispute over ferry crewing. We collect new developments on both topics on the news index so the two files stay distinguishable.

Pont is not an official GVB product and is not affiliated with FNV, the Noord district or the City of Amsterdam. We summarise public reporting and official information to explain what the confirmed ferry shutdown means for passengers. As of 4 September 2026 it is certain that the ferries will not run all day and that the IJ tunnel will not open as a cycle or pedestrian route. Other measures, timings and diversions may still change up to and including the day of action. Always check current departure times and official GVB travel information before you leave.