President-Director Wouter Koolmees of NS has difficulty with Arriva’s communication about the battle for the rail connection between Groningen and Zwolle. This is apparent from an internal message from the CEO to NS staff in the North. “Arriva philosophizes openly about taking over staff and equipment, but that goes too far,” says Koolmees.
Last Tuesday, the judge ruled that outgoing State Secretary Thierry Aartsen (VVD) should immediately resume negotiations with Arriva. Among other things, they are about the acquisition of the slow trains on the Groningen-Zwolle and Leeuwarden-Zwolle railway lines.
According to Koolmees, Arriva must know that herself. “But then openly philosophizing at RTV Noord about ‘taking over the staff and equipment from NS’ is going too far for me. I can imagine that such messages lead to your eyebrows, or even to worry.”
It is for the former politician to support his colleagues in the Northern Netherlands. “Let me say aloud: anyone who wants to stay at NS can stay. Moreover, I know very few colleagues who will easily throw the yellow -blue out of their hearts in exchange for a different jacket.”
Koolmees says about the acquisition of equipment: “Our trains are our trains. We probably need them for our travelers and our concession.”
After the reporting, an Arriva spokesperson announced that her earlier statement about personnel and equipment was made ‘in the context of if people are worried about the fact that trains come to a halt or staff on the street. That there is no misunderstanding about that. “