Public safety
The past few years have seen a noticeable increase in aggressive behaviour, asylum-seeker issues, sexually transgressive behaviour, weapons possession, people with mental health needs and polarisation in society. NS also faces these problems, but cannot solve them alone.
NS aims to provide a safe travel and work environment where passengers feel happy and employees are able to perform to the best of their ability. Unfortunately, the number of incidents involving aggression against NS staff rose again in 2024 compared to 2023 (1,095 versus 1,042).
There was a substantial increase in the number of employees injured as a result of aggression. We also see that aggression has become more severe, particularly that directed towards our Safety & Service staff. In 2024, more S&S employees were involved per incident and there was a substantial increase in injuries in this job group. Based on data and concrete information, these colleagues are deployed where they are needed the most. They also take over difficult situations from train staff and other personnel, which in some cases escalate later at the station.
Measures
Our measures to improve social safety mainly focus on stations and routes with relatively high numbers of public safety reports and incidents. Among other things, we deployed extra Safety & Service officers where required, ran campaigns and stepped up security – sometimes with dogs – at our stations and on our trains in 2024.
#wijstaanstil
NS raised awareness of the social problem of aggression in public transport across the Netherlands in 2024. Under the heading #wijstaanstil, NS trains stood still for three minutes across the Netherlands on Saturday 20 April at 10.30 pm, while NS station shops closed their doors. Other public transport companies showed solidarity and also brought their trains, buses, trams and metros to a standstill. The campaign was in response to a violent incident a week earlier, in which a main guard had been pushed down a flight of stairs on a train. The campaign helped put the issue higher on the political agenda, led to proposals in the coalition agreement and the made issue a priority for the State Secretary.
Bodycams
NS conducted a pilot in which a total of 120 colleagues, main guards and service staff wore a bodycam for six months. The aim of the pilot was to investigate whether wearing a bodycam increases colleagues' safety and sense of safety. The evaluation showed that participants did indeed feel and that the bodycam had a de-escalating effect. The effect of wearing a bodycam was stronger during evening hours. Passengers also responded positively and supported the idea of equipping more NS staff with bodycams. We are exploring the possibility of equipping main guards with bodycams on a permanent basis and extending the use of the bodycam to Service Station employees.
Other measures and actions have also been taken. One example is the introduction of a incomprehensible behaviour intervention officer at Utrecht Central and Rotterdam Central as part of a pilot project. Another new pilot involves the deployment of an operational and regional Safety & Service coordinator. Measures have also been taken to remind passengers of the smoking ban at stations.
Government partners needed
We take responsibility as a company, however we are approaching the limits of what we can do – and are legally permitted to do – as a carrier. Our government partners play an important role in addressing and funding the issue of social safety. For instance, we again urged the government to quickly grant NS special enforcement officers the power to independently identify suspects. We also once again drew attention to our special enforcement officers’ inability to act on the discovery of an offence in its commission that is beyond their competence. As well as the need to put in place powers to act on border track sections in international rail transport.
Safe transport during events
Major events such as sporting competitions, festivals and concerts attract many train passengers. These events often take place at the same time, causing large peaks in passenger volumes on public transport. Together with other carriers and public service providers such as the police, NS plays a crucial role in facilitating safe outward and return journeys for event-goers. Our starting point is that safe passenger transport is only possible if the risks are sufficiently manageable. Passenger and staff safety are paramount in everything we do. In 2024, we sought once again to be quick to consult with parties and event organisers involved to get a clear view of what is and isn’t feasible at event venues on busy days.
We continue to urge municipalities and safety regions to ensure that NS is involved at an early stage in the licensing and organisation of events. This will help to avoid last-minute interventions, such as the forced closure of a station or the temporary shutdown of train traffic. NS was also in consultation about this issue with the events industry, for example the Dutch Grand Prix, and the Royal Netherlands Football Association KNVB. In September, NS signed an accessibility covenant with the municipality of Amsterdam, ProRail, Vervoerregio Amsterdam, the police, GVB and various event venues. The covenant sets out agreements on the organisation and accessibility of events in the Amsterdam ArenA area. The aim is to ensure that transport problems are raised in time and mitigating measures can be taken.
Demonstrations at railway stations
Demonstrations once again took place at various stations this year. NS does not believe that a railway station is a suitable location for demonstrations, irrespective of what the demonstration is about. Demonstrators cause inconvenience to passengers and potentially endanger the flow of passengers at stations or in station halls. Demonstrations can lead to unsafe situations and make passengers and staff feel unsafe.
We do not authorise demonstrations, but we cannot prevent them either. Restricting or even banning demonstrations is the job of municipalities, the police and the Public Prosecution Service. In 2024, NS was in close contact with those authorities about appropriate frameworks and measures to ensure the safety of staff, passengers and property.
Incidents involving aggression
Every single incident involving aggression has a considerable impact on our employees. NS encourages them to report aggression. In all, 1095 incidents of Category A physical or verbal aggression (the most serious type) against staff were reported in the past year – 5% more than in the previous year (2023: 1042). The most common trigger for an incident was speaking to people about their behaviour. This was the case in 46% of incidents of Category A aggression. On trains, the number of incidents triggered by ticket checks fell from 284 in 2023 to 278 in 2024. At stations, 137 incidents were triggered by ticket checks last year (2023: 111).
The incidents involved some form of threat (355), and physical violence was recorded in 336 incidents. Other incidents included spitting (199), resisting a public servant (177), threatening with a weapon (16), sexual physical violence (10) and employee discrimination (2).
The number of Category A incidents involving aggression on our trains has decreased: 458 in 2023 compared to 438 in 2024, down 4%. The number of incidents in this category at stations increased by 13% (to 581 in 2023, compared to 655 in 2024). Of our uniformed staff, 1,445 were involved in some form of physical aggression (2023: 1,007).
The number of cases involving injury increased by 34%: in 2024, 338 injuries as a result of aggression against staff were recorded (2023: 252). These were mostly minor injuries (88%). In 297 cases, these involved uniformed NS staff (2023: 223), of which 224 involved Safety & Service staff (2023: 141).
Reporting nuisance or unsafe situations via WhatsApp or text message
We use media and stickers in our trains to highlight the option for passengers to contact the NS Control Centre via WhatsApp if they feel unsafe in our trains or to report nuisance. Passengers used this reporting option 4,308 times (2023: 4,449), a 3% decrease compared to 2023. The number of reports was 4% of the total number of such reports received by the NS Control Centre. Measures including an up-to-date overview of incoming reports and active camera surveillance enable us to deploy security staff where their presence is most helpful. In this way, we aim to prevent incidents and make people feel safer.