News item | 21-12-2023 | 5:00 PM
State Secretary Vivianne Heijnen of Infrastructure and Water Management today concluded a new contract with NS. This contract (the Main Rail Network concession) stipulates which routes NS trains will run on in the coming years, financial agreements are made and agreements that NS must adhere to. The new concession takes effect on January 1, 2025 and runs until 2033.
State Secretary Vivianne Heijnen (Infrastructure and Water Management): “Public transport is vital for millions of Dutch people. I therefore believe it is essential that travelers can count on reliable and good rail services. I will ensure that with this new concession. The corona pandemic still has consequences for the use of public transport: passenger numbers are not yet at the level of 2019. In addition, we are faced with increased costs and high inflation. The new concession with NS is in line with the transitional situation we are in, but at the same time offers room to expand services in the long term. In the future, market forces can be an instrument for some routes to offer the traveler an optimal journey. That is why I will continue to talk to various carriers to further investigate a number of options.”
On all domestic routes where an NS train currently runs, it will continue to run in the coming years and there is also room for further growth if more travelers choose the train. The sprinter services between Groningen and Zwolle and Leeuwarden and Zwolle are a concrete case where market forces could offer benefits to the traveler. These and other options are being further investigated and the concession can be adjusted accordingly during the midterm review in 2029. On international routes, competition between different rail companies is becoming the rule, because this benefits travelers.
Execution of motions
State Secretary Heijnen spoke to the House of Representatives this autumn about the new concession with NS and the House of Representatives adopted several motions. That is why there are a number of changes in the final concession compared to the provisional concession that was sent to the House of Representatives in August.
For example, agreements have been adjusted in the new concession regarding the minimum operation of stations. The current timetable will become the starting point and it will be determined that early (before 6:00 AM) and late (after 12:00 AM) trains will also continue to run. Further expansion of the night network is currently not financially feasible.
Running a third and fourth intercity per hour between Groningen and Zwolle is currently not financially possible. However, it will be examined whether additional trains can start running after 2029. A maximum of €10 million per year is needed to operate these additional trains and more than €100 million for infrastructure adjustments to ensure there is enough space for the trains.
New tariff system
The NS has withdrawn the current plan for fare differentiation and the House of Representatives has also indicated that it is not interested in more expensive tickets during rush hour on a number of routes. The new concession states that NS may make proposals for a new tariff system, but that implementation is only possible once the House of Representatives has voted on the proposal. Only then can the proposal be approved.
European Commission
This summer, the European Commission started infringement proceedings against the Netherlands regarding the award of the new concession with NS. The infringement procedure is based on the fact that there is a year between the moment of signing and the entry into force of the new concession. The European Commission believes a period of one year is too long and therefore not justified. The ministry believes this is justified because NS must be more accountable for its services under the new concession and it takes time to set up a system for this. The start of the infringement procedure does not have a suspensive effect and the award could therefore proceed as planned. The European Commission has asked the Netherlands for a written explanation and it has been given.