In addition to our regular contacts with stakeholders about day-to-day matters, we are also keen to talk to them about opportunities, threats and trends in the medium term. That is why NS organises national-level meetings with a wide range of stakeholders about our social role and on specific themes where we have an impact. These are themes that concern our stakeholders or NS itself. This allows us to facilitate dialogue not only between NS and its stakeholders, but also among the stakeholders themselves. This regularly leads to a better understanding of our mutual interests and produces valuable constructive criticism and ideas for NS.
The future for NS
In May 2019, NS organised a central stakeholder dialogue session with 60 organisations that NS has contacts with. The idea was to share thoughts about ‘The future is now’. Consumer organisations, regional authorities, ProRail and trade unions attended this event, along with other organisations. The Executive Board engaged in discussion with those present about the trends and developments that are relevant to the future of mobility in the Netherlands. These include regional collaboration, the future of the stations and the role of NS in new technologies and innovation. A shared vision emerged of the challenge facing us all of maintaining accessibility and quality of life in the Netherlands.
Academic publication and series of seminars on 'On Track for the Future'
The agenda for the years ahead includes various policy developments, such as the Vision for the Future of Public Transport, the Long-Term Rail Agenda, the implementation of the Fourth EU Railway Package and choices in market regulation. There are also independent developments that will affect mobility in the future. That is why GVB, HTM, NS, ProRail and RET have taken the initiative for a series of academic seminars and publications. The aim of this is to mobilise the best scientific knowledge and practical experience available internationally for the benefit of policy in the Netherlands. This initiative is expected to add value not so much through the policy conclusions themselves as through the underlying analyses and considerations. Professors Bert van Wee (Delft University of Technology) and Maarten Jansen (Vienna University) are responsible for the content and the independence of the contributions. In 2019, the last from a previous series of ten in-depth seminars were held. The papers were compiled into an ESB file and presented at the concluding event on 11 October 2019. They have also been made available to the general public online.