NS will secure train traffic on the Netherlands’ most important railway routes until at least 2033. This emerges from the so-called major rail network concession concluded today by Minister of State for Infrastructure and Water Management Heijnen.
The signing temporarily ends a year-long process complicated by legal cases and European rules, among other things. For example, regional airlines have gone to court several times because they were not given the opportunity to participate. And at the same time, for the same reason, the Minister of Foreign Affairs had to regularly visit the European Commission to defend the NS elections.
The concession involves agreements between the ministry and Dutch Railways. For example, it’s about how often a train should go somewhere and how much a train ticket might cost.
These agreements apply to the main rail network, which are by far the most important rail routes with the highest number of passengers in the country:
There won’t be much change for train passengers for now. The essence of the agreements is that all domestic railway lines on which the NS train currently operates will continue to operate in the coming years. NS should not suddenly plan fewer trains somewhere than there are now, but rather more.
This also applies to local trains from Zwolle to Groningen and Leeuwarden, which are in NS hands. Other providers such as Arriva had hoped to compete with NS here, but the ministry does not want to take part in that for now. The Secretary of State believes market forces on these routes “could benefit travellers”. Therefore, in 2029, halfway through the franchise, they will think again.
The House of Representatives originally hoped that two more intercity trains could run between Zwolle and Groningen, but according to the ministry there is no money for this and the railway manager ProRail must first renew the tracks for a total of one hundred million euros. NS will also have no plans to increase train tickets during rush hour; The House of Representatives had previously voted against it.
They have international market forces
According to outgoing Foreign Minister Heijnen, with these agreements passengers can count on “reliable and good rail connections”.
With the new concession, NS will lose the exclusive right to travel to international destinations such as Berlin, London and Paris. The outgoing cabinet wants other companies outside Brussels to be able to operate train services to these foreign capitals. Various carriers have already revealed their plans in the last few months.
Financial agreements were also made during the negotiations between the railway operator and the ministry. NS currently pays around 80 million euros a year to use the railway. In the new concession this is no longer necessary and NS actually receives a subsidy of 13 million euros per year. This means that the state will lose a total of more than 700 million euros in revenue in nine years.
According to the ministry, the subsidy is necessary to “ensure a stable timeline” for travellers. This has to do with the coronavirus outbreak a few years ago. Since then, the number of people traveling by train has dropped sharply to around 85 percent. This has meant significantly lower revenue for NS for years.
The new concession will come into force on January 1, 2025 and will last until 2033.
Source: NOS

Emma Fitzgerald is an accomplished political journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in political science and international relations, she has a deep understanding of the political landscape and the forces that shape it.