The access gates on Amsterdam Central Station are locked from today. From now on travelers will have to check in with their public transit card to gain access to the station and platforms, NOS reports.

People only visiting the station to say goodbye to someone, or visit one of the stores in the station, can check in and out for free within one hour.

The intention is to also lock the gates at Amsterdam Sloterdijk station before the end of the year. According to NOS, then 75 of the over 400 train stations in the Netherlands will have locked gates.

According to NS, the locked gates are an effective measure against people using the trains without paying. "We notice that more and more travelers are getting used to it and see the benefits of the gates. It's also an effective means of not forgetting to check in or out", commercial director Hans Peters of NS said to NOS in September.