NS director Koolmees predicts 'difficult autumn' for train passengers

Wouter Koolmees, CEO of NS, expects a “difficult autumn” for train passengers. More work and a lack of equipment and especially technical staff will lead to train delays and cancellations this autumn.

“I am concerned about this,” said ProRail CEO John Wobben during an interview in Utrecht. “Especially the problems on the high-speed line.” Koolmees and Wobben explained on Tuesday the (disappointing) performance of the railway in recent months and the poor prospects for passengers in the near future. In recent weeks, there has been no or limited train traffic at the main railway junction in Amersfoort, and there has been work between Rotterdam and The Hague. Next year, ProRail, the railway manager, plans to increase (necessary) work by 30 percent compared to 2020.

However, NS continues to plan to increase fares by more than 10 percent from January. The HSL surcharge – €2.90 for “fast” transport on Intercity Direct – will also be maintained as far as Koolmees is concerned, despite criticism from travellers and consumer organisations.

Due to the extensive maintenance work, lack of equipment and shortage of technicians (electricians), NS and ProRail expect that they will not be able to meet the performance agreements they have agreed with their client, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, in 2024. This certainly applies to the HSL-Zuid high-speed line. The agreements for the rest of the so-called main railway network (HRN) also appear difficult to achieve, according to Koolmes and Vöppen.

Speed ​​Limit

The HSL issues were the main topic of discussion during Tuesday's press conference. In July, ProRail imposed new speed restrictions due to subsidence under the track and construction errors on bridges along the route.

The direct intercity route between Amsterdam, Schiphol, Rotterdam and Breda is now only allowed in some places at 80 km/h, instead of 200 km/h. Eurostar trains also have to travel much slower than they can.

The HSL is a central route in the Netherlands, where train lines elsewhere also suffer from speed restrictions. Wobben could not give an exact date for when the landing and construction problems will be resolved on Tuesday. He is currently considering the beginning of 2026, but that is his best-case scenario. “We have to solve the problems structurally. That takes time.”

On Tuesday, Foben explained how complex the problems are. Normally, you build piles of slabs when the ground threatens to sink, Foben said, but in this case that could seriously damage the tracks. Instead of piling the slabs, ProRail wants to drive at least 30 piles into the ground. To be able to bring in the machinery, the road needs to be widened, but for that, the ditch needs to be filled in. That ditch is critical to water management in the area.

Now that NS has not delivered what it promised on the high-speed line, the Rover traveller association wants the rail company to scrap the surcharge that HSL passengers have to pay extra. But Wouter Koolmees said on Tuesday he has no intention of doing so.

Intercity Direct on HSL is still faster than other connections, according to the former D66 minister. Moreover, many travellers would take HSL if the surcharges were removed and NS would not have enough trains for that. The rollout of Intercity New Generation (ICNG) is going much slower than planned.

Furthermore, NS must meet its financial obligations for the use of HSL. NS pays between 110 and 120 million euros per year for this.

loss

The railway company has already announced poor financial results in early August. In the first half of 2024, NS made an operating loss of $109 million. The company therefore wants to make significant cuts. For example, 500 jobs in the head office should be lost, in principle only through natural attrition. NS employs a total of more than 20,000 people.

In addition, NS wants to generate additional revenue by increasing fares by more than 10 percent. Rover is strongly opposed. “Travelers will pay much more for a product that still does not meet the agreed requirements,” said Freik Bos, director of Rover. “The higher prices put a huge strain on the affordability of public transport,” says Bos.

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