Stakeholder dialogue diagram

EU institutions, CER, UIC, ERA

Informational, creation and to determine standpoints  

2, 5, 6, 9
Promote sustainable mobility in Europe and a level playing field with other modes of transport such as air and car, stimulate international rail traffic (for distances up to 700 km), investments and co-financing, stimulate innovation, facilitate international door-to-door travel, improve international ticketing and customer services

•

Strengthening position of (international) passengers

•

Optimising cooperation between European railway companies and institutions

•

Sustainable investments in the railway sector that contribute to climate objectives by encouraging the modal shift from air to rail

•

NS’s reputation as a sustainable partner  

National (NL)

Nature of dialogue

Content of dialogue

Effects of the dialogue on NS policy

Customers (consumers and businesses)N.B. Some customer groups are represented by interest groups. See also LOCOV

Informational, creation, monitoring

1, 2, 3, 4, 11
Timetable, public transport card (OV-chipkaart), customer satisfaction, handling complaints and inquiries, consumer portfolio, corporate portfolio, collaboration with bus, tram and metro companies, accessibility

Improved services, including:

•

Providing passengers better insight into crowding: technological improvement to better predict crowding, with crowding indicators tailored to changed experience of crowding

•

Further development of Treinwijzer: improved customer experience of the voluntary registration system, through which passengers can be informed in case of a change in the predicted levels of crowding

•

NS Flex: over 670,000 customers have discovered the benefits of our 'travel now, pay later' option.

•

Introduction of the Young Person's Day Ticket; over 100,000 Young Person's Day Tickets are sold monthly

•

Introduction of Vroegboek Dal (early reservation/off-peak) proposition in November, which offers passengers a 10% discount

•

Improvement of group ticket: available from 2022 for groups of two persons or more (previously only for groups of at least four persons)

•

Introduction of new proposition for the business market: Traject op Maat (customised route), which offers flexible commuting options to capitalise on changing travel behaviour of commuters

•

Introduction of new service for large business clients: NS Go. With this service, we help companies to develop a more sustainable mobility policy

•

Improve communication between people with a hearing impairment and NS Customer Service. From October 2021, customers can get assistance from a telephone interpreting service (Teletolk) when calling NS Customer Service

•

Improving communication for people with a hearing impairment on the train. From October 2021, passengers with a hearing impairment will have access to the same information as hearing passengers thanks to a pilot project during which announcements are shown on information screens in trains

•

Increasing the number of stations where travel assistance is offered (over 25 stations)

•

Improving accessibility of Sprinters. As of December 2021, all NS Sprinters are equipped with retractable steps for easy access

•

Nationwide roll-out of option for reporting intimidating atmosphere or unsafe situations via WhatsApp or text messaging. Around 10% of the total number of reported incidents are reported in this way

•

Of the 400 stations, 82 are being equipped with access gates to reduce fare dodging and aggression at stations and in trains. Therefore, eventually, over 90% of passengers will pass through a gate at the start of their train journey or when they exit the station. Access gates were installed at station no. 80 in 2021; Groningen and Schiphol will follow later. NS Customer Service. As of October 2021, customers can get assistance from a telephone interpreting service (Teletolk) when calling NS Customer Service

Shareholder Ministry of Finance

Intensive involvement

1, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
NS performance, remuneration, strategy, appointments, major investments, standard return, dividend policy, financial situation/COVID-19, CSR, foreign activities

•

Determining financial policy

•

Appointment of new Director of Operations

•

Executive Board remuneration

•

Revision of dividend policy

•

Transparent reporting in accordance with GRI, participation in the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy Transparency Benchmark

•

Progress made on GRC measures and savings through efficiency measures

•

Investment decision on modernisation of lengthened interregional rolling stock (VIRM IV)

•

Restructuring of foreign operations

•

Impact of COVID-19 on financial performance and support given to NS 

•

Monitoring CSR targets

Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management

Intensive involvement

1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11,16
NS Performance, door-to-door journey (TrainWijzer, number plate recognition), Travelling and working in safety, international connections, HSL-South train services, cross-border transport, social and rail safety, public transport card (OV-chipkaart), accessibility, timetable, transparency, sustainability, station agenda

•

Transportation Plan for 2022, half-yearly and annual report for 2021

•

Timetables for 2022 and 2023 and new product steps (including New Generation Intercity (ICNG) trains)

•

Policy intention and preparations for new franchise

•

International train services: timetables for NightJet, Thalys and Eurostar

•

Cross-border transport

•

Ensuring a good spread of passengers

•

COVID-19 and KPIs/meeting franchise obligations

•

Availability payment and Transition Plan/Public Transport Protocol

•

Measures to cope with winter and seasonal conditions

•

NightJet to Vienna/Innsbruck

•

Exploring supporting accessibility measures for 2023-2024, based on reports from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management of remaining impediments for people with disabilities

•

Jointly monitoring hitches in travel assistance due to staff shortages at stations and discussing mitigating measures

National political bodies

Informational, intensive involvement

1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 11, 13, 15
COVID-19, NS strategy, operational performance, sustainability, circular economy, new rolling stock, ERTMS, accessibility, main rail network franchise including HSL, international train connections, public transport card (OV-chipkaart)/access gates, diversity policy, personal/railway safety, timetable, coping with winter and seasonal conditions, service at stations, suicide prevention, management and maintenance challenge

•

Commitment to extending and making new passenger spread agreements with educational institutions and employers

•

Connections to and from regions, including faster journeys between the northern part of the Netherlands and the Randstad conurbation

•

Researching options to expand and create faster international cross-border connections, including by putting in place a better and faster connection to Germany from Utrecht via Arnhem.

•

Accessible travel by train: acting on reports from the government

•

Waste reduction and separation at stations

•

Package of measures for personal safety

Supervisory authorities – ACM, IL&T, Dutch Data Protection Authority

Involvement, consultation (‘guidance’) and information

2, 4, 7, 10, 11, 14
Answering standard and ad hoc requests for information, discussing current issues such as a more professional safety culture, (market) issues, acceptance of rolling stock, safety incidents, incident investigations, clarification of new regulatory requirements, and providing input for market studies and consultations

•

Improved implementation and service

•

Promoting compliance

•

Transparency

•

Position statements

•

Increasing safety on the track, both for NS and throughout the sector

ProRail

Intensive involvement

1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11
Long-Term Rail Agenda, timetable development, performance of the rail system, availability of infrastructure, planning future rail maintenance and improvement, safety, accessibility, station development, ERTMS, sustainability

•

Cooperation on seasonal measures

•

Cooperation on safety and safety policy

•

Cooperation on sustainable business practice and accessibility

•

Cooperation with regard to stations (management, maintenance, development and new construction)

•

Better alignment between infrastructure and the timetable

•

Cooperation with regard to the planning of large infrastructure works

•

Cooperation with regard to sustainable development and placing it on the political agenda

•

Cooperation on the 'Work on the Tracks to Prepare for the Future' (TWAS) programme

LOCOV
(National Public Transport Users’ Forum)

Intensive involvement

1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 11
NS timetable, fares, travel information, service delivered to passengers, transport plan, new rolling stock, customer satisfaction, punctuality, rolling stock, accessibility, international connections, HSL services, NS strategy

•

Better train product by incorporating suggestions from consumer organisations in thematic sessions and recommendations (timetable, pricing policy, accessibility, communication, etc.)

•

Implementing concrete recommendations with regard to the timetable for 2022. The timetabling changes implemented in this way ensure a better train product

•

Implementing recommendations with regard to making changes to travel information (to be put into effect after 2021)

•

Also offering a discount for young people on short cross-border routes between the Netherlands and Belgium, based on advice

•

Making changes to the price list for international routes (boarding stations), based on advice of consumer organisations

•

Implementing recommendations for changes to the design of stations to maintain the current level of services to people with a disability

Interest groups, NGOs, Anders Reizen (employers’ coalition)

Involvement, consulting and information

2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 13
Promote sustainable mobility (via Anders Reizen), social policy, promoting accessible train travel for people with disabilities

•

Identifying current impediments to accessibility for people with a disability and jointly designing and developing services to resolve the impediments already identified

•

NS continuously challenges its sustainable enterprise strategy ('NS onderneemt duurzaam') in a stakeholder dialogue with NGOs, resulting in useful feedback, appreciation for the sustainable direction of NS and strengthening of the relationship between key green stakeholders and NS

•

NS contributes significantly to the realisation of the measures regarding sustainable passenger mobility from the Climate Agreement.

Trade unions

Intensive involvement

4, 7, 13
Collective labour agreement, COVID-19, perspectives for action, pension plan, social plan, employment guarantee, personal and social consequences of organisational changes, signs suggesting satisfaction or dissatisfaction among staff, employees’ interests

•

Negotiation and implementation of agreements under the collective labour agreement for 2020-2022 and the resulting HR policy

•

Preparation of a new collective labour agreement

•

Implementation of the Social Plan

•

Implementation of the Pension Plan

Suppliers, subcontractors

Consulting, negotiating conditions, making contractual agreements, intensifying collaboration, innovation and development

1, 6, 9, 12, 14, 15, 16
Operational performance, sustainable business practice, innovation, financial performance, integrity and compliance, responsible procurement, risk management

•

Focus on cost reduction for NS due to its financial situation

•

Focus on reliability, availability and costs of products and services for business-critical processes

•

Encouraging cooperation and innovation with suppliers, including to make the supply chain more sustainable

Media

Informational, intensive involvement

All NS-related subjects

•

Position statements

•

Improving NS image in line with operational performance

Regional authorities and official representatives of the provinces, metropolitan regions and municipalities, other carriers and consumer organisations

Informational, negotiations, contractual agreements, crisis management, collaboration, exploring and investigating

1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 17
Quality of train services, crowded trains, punctuality, network development, redevelopment of existing stations, public transport and railway discussion platforms, advisory body on the Multi-annual Programme for Infrastructure Space and Transport for the northwest Netherlands (BO MIRT NWNL), vision of the future of public transport and the public transport development agenda, national environmental strategy, timetable, cross-border transport, personal/railway safety, transport sector-wide agreements, regional franchises, noise nuisance near the railways, hub development

•

New, more modern stations and redevelopment of station surroundings

•

Quality of train services, crowded trains, punctuality, network development, development and redevelopment of existing stations, public transport and railway discussion platforms, advisory body on the Multi-annual Programme for Infrastructure Space and Transport for the northwest Netherlands (BO MIRT NWNL), vision of the future of public transport and the public transport development agenda, national environmental strategy, timetable, cross-border transport, personal/railway safety, transport sector-wide agreements, regional franchises, noise nuisance near the railways, hub development

•

Tailored regional solutions for replacement bus service when train services are interrupted

•

Joint public transport development agendas for attractive stations and better accessibility from door to door

•

•

Various bicycle storage facilities free of charge for the first 24 hours, extension of P+R sites

•

Collaborating on regional tasks and ambitions for the vision of the future for public transport

•

•

Optimising the Noord-Holland North timetable

•

Extension of the Leeuwarden-Meppel Sprinter route to Zwolle from 2021, together with partners in the region;

•

ProRail-NS quick scan for acceleration measures in the medium term on routes between the northern Netherlands and the Randstad conurbation; results discussed with coordinating body for railway infrastructure in the northern Netherlands (Bestuurlijk Overleg Spoor Noord-Nederland)

•

IC Randstad-Aachen

•

Increasing collaboration with stakeholders based on our commitment to broad mobility, with deployment of additional mobility developers

•

In connection with COVID-19: collaboration in the region, including on availability payment, spreading passengers (education sector and employers) and long-term recovery