Foreword by the CEO

NS got back on track again in 2024 after a difficult period. Despite problems on the high-speed line, we managed to achieve almost all the minimum values on the main rail network. We are not there yet, but we are well on our way.

In the first half of the year, our main concern was how to improve our operational management. At the end of 2023, our performance was below par and a solution was needed.

In retrospect, I think we lost a bit of focus and naturalness in our operational process during the pandemic. At that time the capacity utilisation rate was only around 10%, punctuality played a less prominent role and we ran fewer trains. When a lot of passengers returned at around the same time, we were somewhat caught off guard. And so we fell behind. We had also recently faced a lot of infrastructure challenges, due to both temporary speed limits and a large number of works.

Improvement programme

We launched an improvement programme in collaboration with ProRail in early 2024, in which we each had our own focus areas. The programme had three main aims: to improve train and staff deployment, to eliminate as many causes of temporary speed limits as possible and to improve our approach to construction works.

NS made a substantial effort to overcome sticking points in areas such as the deployment of rolling stock. A lot of extra preventive maintenance in the summer meant that we needed to withdraw fewer trains from service in the autumn and were able to get as many trains as possible on the tracks. The result: more seats. Our new Intercity trains have now undergone a large number of technical improvements, which has also allowed us to use these trains more often. We also continued to recruit and train a large number of people in 2024.

'We are making the timetable more reliable by incorporating temporary speed limits'

ProRail did everything it could to reduce the number of temporary speed limits, which have a significant impact on the timetable. Unfortunately, however, we are still facing setbacks, mainly on the high-speed line in particular due to external factors. On some stretches, a limit of 80 km/h applied due to infrastructure restrictions. We now incorporate temporary speed limits into our timetable as much as possible to make it more robust and reliable.

Works continue, something we have to learn to deal with. The number of works was already fairly high and is set to grow by another 40% in 2025. Activities will shift from night to day and will often involve work on the track outside holiday periods. We sought to better prepare passengers for their journey, which often included an alternative travel route, through additional communications on works. We have decided to make more realistic adjustments to our timetable to account for planned works in future. For example, we sometimes put fewer trains per hour on a route than we would have done in the past. This allows us to create more buffer time in case something goes wrong, so that we can provide a more reliable timetable.

Minimum values on the main rail network

NS achieved the minimum values for almost all KPIs for the main rail network in 2024, despite all the difficulties we faced. As recently as August, ProRail CEO John Voppen and I informed the Netherlands that the autumn could be a fairly hectic time for the railways, with the always busy months of September and October and the many works. I am happy with the minimum values we achieved. It is a considerable achievement considering where we came from. Nevertheless, on some routes passengers were significantly inconvenienced. One such route was Schiphol Airport, where a lot of work was carried out.

Crowded trains

We are grateful to each and every passenger who chooses to use our service, however during rush hour it is often too crowded to be able to offer them all a seat. And standing is already a problem in some cases, particularly on Tuesdays and Thursdays during rush hour. That’s the reality and as long as everyone wants to travel at the same time, it will remain so. There is not much more we can do to improve this situation. We deploy trains at maximum length wherever possible and there is often no space on the track for more trains per hour. Having to stand is annoying, though. My home is no stranger to complaints about this. On a Thursday, for instance, I received a message from my partner with a picture of a crowded train accompanied by the text: 'I’m having to stand up in first class'. I messaged back with: '8.15 am, 855 kilometres of congestion'. Nevertheless, the next time she still got on the train again at the same time. This just shows how difficult it is to persuade passengers to travel outside rush hour. Sometimes leaving 15 minutes later can make the difference between a comfortable and less comfortable train journey. So if you have the opportunity to travel at a quieter time, by all means do so.

Finances

Financially, NS is not in good shape. Our train service is operating at a loss, which is worrying and unsustainable in the long term. Many passengers have returned since the pandemic, but not all. Working from home is here to stay. On top of this, our costs have increased more than our income. The cost of rolling stock went up, as did the price of electricity and wages. We offer an attractive product and we want to continue investing in areas such as new trains. In addition, NS must remain an attractive employer in the tight labour market. Improvements in the train service also cost money. Added to that, actual inflation over the last few years turned out to be much higher than the expected inflation. NS cannot bear the burden of this difference alone. This is a problem that keeps me up at night: we cannot and will not implement unlimited price increases, because we want to be accessible to all. NS made a deal with the State Secretary for 2025, whereby NS will absorb one third of the inflation in recent years. The ministry will absorb one third and the final third will be borne by passengers. This brings the average price increase for 2025 to 6.18%. The State Secretary has announced that he will explore the possibilities of also publishing a long-term plan, because he too wants train tickets to remain affordable. NS has a financial gap that we ourselves need to close.

The Executive Board feels it has a duty and responsibility to continue to think carefully about the affordability of train travel. In 2023, we suggested introducing rate differentiation. We wanted to increase prices to spread the number of passengers travelling during rush hour more evenly throughout the day and use the extra revenue to offer lower off-peak fares. This type of approach could also benefit many people. There was a great deal of opposition to this proposal, so we are considering an alternative.

Public safety

It deeply concerns me any time I hear that a colleague has experienced aggression at a station or on a train. The final straw came in April, when a colleague was faced with aggression on a train near The Hague HS station. NS held a campaign to raise awareness of this problem across the Netherlands by stopping the trains for three minutes and closing the station shops. Other carriers joined us. Passengers also lent us their support, saying in conversations they thought it was good that we were drawing attention to this problem. At Utrecht Central, colleagues stood shoulder to shoulder in the main concourse. Those images and the sad and shocking stories shared by colleagues that campaign week also touched many others. NS invests heavily in social safety, but this is not a problem we can solve alone. It is a social problem that affects almost everyone with a public service task. The government has announced its intention to take action on social safety. Stations were once again used as a location for demonstrations in 2024. This is a matter for the competent authorities, which are responsible for deciding whether a demonstration is or is not permitted to take place in a particular location. First and foremost, I strongly believe in the right to demonstration. However, I don't consider the station to be the right place for demonstrations – regardless of what the demonstrators are for or against.

'We have been running on wind power since 2017 and now also on solar power'

Sustainable alternative

I am delighted to say that we were once again the sustainable alternative for many passengers last year. After all, we have been running on wind power since 2017 and now also on solar power from 1 January 2025. Travelling with NS means you always have the wind at your back and the sun in the sky. We take our passengers from A to B and welcome everyone on board, facilitating encounters and supporting social cohesion. We carry passengers to birthday celebrations, football matches and concerts. Our stations have an impact on the quality of life and structure of a local community. They are of economic significance: employers benefit from being near a station. At an increasing number of small stations, for example, our Station Living Room retail chain provides a pleasant space and thus a greater sense of social safety.

Continuously improving

During the concession period, which ended on 31 December 2024, we were always conscious of our social role. We wanted to keep improving things for passengers step by step. And we want to continue that during the new concession period – for the Netherlands. Our ultimate goal is reaching 200 years of NS transport.

The train is the future. We offer solutions to problems facing society. The train helps to address motorway congestion, while new housing does not need extra parking spaces, but a station nearby. We also have a role to play in climate change and making society more sustainable.

The key focus in the coming concession years will be on providing a reliable train service on the main rail network, despite much more work on the infrastructure. We already made a start on this when introducing the new timetable. Since then, we have been running over 1,500 extra trains a week and we have doubled the number of journeys to and from Belgium.

Employees

Last autumn’s employee perception survey revealed that as many as 64% of NS employees rate working for NS as 8 or more out of 10. Needless to say, I am extremely happy and proud of this statistic. It’s an encouraging sign. And I share their enthusiasm about working for NS: it’s a great company, we offer an excellent product, the colleagues are pleasant and there is an open atmosphere. I also hear positive comments from new colleagues coming from a wide range of sectors. They are always glad they made the switch to us. I appreciate how our longer-serving employees have warmly welcomed, inducted and made so many new colleagues feel at home over the past few years.

Yet we also have a staffing problem: the composition of our workforce. Around one third of our employees are now over 55 and some of them will retire during this concession. Finding their successors keeps me busy, not just because of the tight labour market, but also in terms of their knowledge, which I am keen to retain within the company. We need to safeguard this expertise.

Thanks

If the trains run on time, that is as it should be and nobody sees reason to celebrate. And I understand that. Nonetheless, I feel it is important to express my appreciation. I am proud of all our NS employees who work for passengers with such commitment and love. They have done their utmost, sometimes under difficult circumstances, to offer passengers the best possible journey. I am confident that they will continue to perform to the best of their ability in the new concession period, and that all passengers will reap the benefits. I would like to welcome the whole of the Netherlands to our trains.

On behalf of the Executive Board,

Wouter Koolmees
CEO