Notes to the franchise indicators
NS uses a range of indicators to measure the quality of its services on the main rail network and the high-speed line. Providing responsible and comfortable passenger transport services and a safe working environment for our employees were top priorities for our services in 2021, also in response to the government's request to that effect. As in 2020, due to COVID-19 performance figures for 2021 are very different from normal levels and cannot be meaningfully compared with those for other years.
New performance indicators
This annual report includes our first performance results on the indicators ‘User-friendly travel information’ and ‘Number of crowded peak-hour trains’. These have replaced the indicators ‘Information on the train and ‘Top 10 most crowded trains’. The new definition of the indicator for travel information more accurately reflects how passengers actually experience the travel information provided. We decided to replace the ‘Top 10 most crowded trains’ indicator because of its focus on crowded trains on just two routes: Amsterdam Sloterdijk-Haarlem and The Hague-Leiden-Schiphol. The new indicator covers all crowded trains in the Netherlands. This provides a picture of all passengers in crowded trains, both in trains that are always busy and in trains that had insufficient capacity at peak hours.
Performance | Realisation in 2021 | Realisation in 2020 | Realisation in 2019 | Minimum value for 2021 |
Overall customer satisfaction score for main rail network * | - | - | - | 7.3 |
Overall customer satisfaction score for HSL-South services* | - | - | - | 7.2 |
Customer satisfaction with personal safety* | - | - | - | 7.7 |
Punctuality for passengers (with a 5-minute margin) on the main rail network | 94.4% | 93.5% | 92.6% | 88.9% |
Punctuality for passengers (with a 15-minute margin) on the main rail network | 98.1% | 97.9% | 97.7% | 96.7% |
Punctuality for passengers (with a 5-minute margin) on HSL South | 89.2% | 85.2% | 83.4% | 82.1% |
Quality of connections to other carriers | 96.5% | 96.7% | 96.0% | 94.0% |
Seat availability at peak times (main rail network) | 99.6% | 97.3% | 94.9% | 94.3% |
Seat availability at peak times (HSL South) | 99.9% | 98.1% | 97.1% | 91.2% |
Number of crowded trains at peak times per working week** | 4 | - | - | 110 |
User-friendly travel information ** | 79.9% | - | - | 65.0% |
- * Effective 2021, we register customer scores using the Public Transport Customer Barometer. However, due to the measures to curb COVID-19, during most of 2021 no measurements could be taken. The available figures will be published in March 2022.
- ** Where a new performance indicator applies effective 1 January 2021, no comparative figures for 2019 and 2020 have been included.
Main rail network franchise for 2015-2024
The State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management awarded the rail transport franchise for the main rail network to NS in December 2014. The franchise runs from 1 January 2015 for a term of ten years. NS also prepares an annual transport plan for the year ahead. In the transport plan, we link our aims and objectives to specific actions and performance indicators for the coming year. The definitions of the KPIs and the descriptions of the measurement and calculation methods used can be found in the 2021 Transport Franchise Definitions.