The table below summarises the wide range of dialogues between NS and its stakeholders. The numbering refers to the themes from the material relevance matrix.
European | Nature of dialogue | Content of dialogue | Effects of the dialogue on NS policy | |
EU institutions, CER, UIC, ERA | Informational, creation and to determine standpoints | 15 | • | Strengthening the position of domestic and international passengers and supporting NS’s position as the key rail passenger carrier in the Netherlands |
• | Optimising cooperation between European railway companies and institutions | |||
• | Sustainable investments in the railway sector that contribute to climate objectives | |||
• | 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) | Informational, creation, monitoring | 2, 3, 6, 11 | Improved services, including: | |
Timetable, public transport card (OV-chipkaart), customer satisfaction, handling complaints and inquiries, consumer portfolio, corporate portfolio, collaboration with bus, tram and metro companies, accessibility | • | NS Flex goes live Over 55,000 customers have discovered the benefits of our 'travel now, pay later' option | ||
• | 40% discount on the IC Direct surcharge in off-peak hours to persuade customers to travel at quieter times of the day rather than in crowded trains | |||
• | Collaboration between Mecanoo, Gispen and NS on vision for train interiors in the future and involving interest groups in this | |||
• | Following consultation with Eye Association Netherlands (Oogvereniging), passengers with a visual handicap can now also participate in the trial on reporting nuisance in the train via an app or sms text messaging | |||
• | As part of the upgrade of the ticket machines, a first step was taken at the request of Eye Association Netherlands to introduce audio feedback via a speaker or headphones | |||
• | First success in changing lecture times in Nijmegen to spread students’ travel in peak times. Talks are ongoing with various cities | |||
• | NS ZitplaatsZoeker App (seat searcher) is being rolled out for various types of train. It shows where most free seats are in each carriage | |||
• | The discount for passengers travelling together has become even easier to obtain. This is also available as an e-ticket as of November | |||
• | 7,800 new public transport bicycles added in autumn 2019. Increase of more than 24% in number of trips compared with 2017 | |||
• | GoAbout and Booking.com have started pilots for the sale of train tickets. This makes it even easier to introduce new groups of passengers to public transport | |||
Shareholder | Intensive involvement | 1, 2, 7, 13, 14, 15 | ||
Performance of NS, remuneration, strategy, appointments, major investments, benchmark return from State participations | • | Determining financial policy and Executive Board remuneration | ||
• | Transparent reporting as per GRI | |||
• | Progress of GRC measures and savings through efficiency measures | |||
• | Progress of ‘Spoorslags Beter’ ('On track for improvement') strategy and consultation in adoption of new strategy by Supervisory Board | |||
• | Risk framework for foreign operations | |||
Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management | Intensive involvement | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 | Including: | |
Performance of NS, main rail network franchise, reliability, transport capacity, door-to-door journey, HSL South train services, personal safety and railway safety, public transport card (OV-chipkaart), accessibility, timetable, transparency, sustainability | • | 2019 Transport Plan | ||
• | Timetable in 2020 and 2021 | |||
• | Midterm Review: evaluation of 2014-2019 performance and financial balance, updating the franchise for 2020-2025 | |||
• | Market regulation studies, e.g. into decentralisation, open access and the position of stations | |||
• | Conversion of ProRail into autonomous administrative authority | |||
• | Transparency: dashboard performance | |||
• | International train services: introduction of direct Eurostar and night train to Vienna | |||
• | Water fountains at various stations | |||
• | Outline of vision of the future of public transport | |||
• | Increase in service frequency for Zandvoort for Formula 1 | |||
• | Airport Sprinter | |||
• | Steps towards new payment methods (also in NOVB context) | |||
National political bodies | Informational, intensive involvement | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16 | Including: | |
NS strategy, operational performance, sustainability, circular economy, new rolling stock, ERTMS, 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 | • | Connections to and from different parts of the country and acceleration of (among others) connection from northern Netherlands to Randstad conurbation | ||
• | Investigation into speeding up and extending international connections | |||
• | Dialogue on avoiding peak times for measures to alleviate the main peak | |||
• | Programme for Accessible Travel by Train | |||
• | Transparency and level playing field, including at stations | |||
• | Package of measures for personal safety, pilot project using text messages + app for reporting incidents in trains | |||
Supervisory authorities – Netherlands Authority for Consumers & Markets (ACM), Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (IL&T), Dutch Data Protection Authority | Involvement, consultation (‘guidance’) and information | 1, 2, 4, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 | • | Improved implementation and service |
Responding to regular and ad hoc requests for information. | • | Promoting compliance | ||
• | Transparency | |||
• | Position statements | |||
• | Increasing safety on the track, both for NS and throughout the sector | |||
ProRail | Intensive involvement | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 | Including: | |
Long-Term Rail Agenda, timetable development, performance of the rail system, availability of infrastructure, safety, accessibility, station development, ERTMS, sustainability | • | Realisation of Better & More | ||
• | Cooperation on seasonal measures | |||
• | Cooperation on safety, safety policy and accessibility | |||
• | Cooperation with regard to stations (management, maintenance, development and new construction) | |||
• | Better alignment between infrastructure and the timetable [via the MLT Steering Group] | |||
• | Cooperation with regard to sustainable development and placing it on the political agenda | |||
LOCOV (National Public Transport Users' Forum) | Intensive involvement | 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 | Including: | |
NS timetable, fares, travel information, public transport card (OV-chipkaart), service delivered to passengers, Transport Plan, customer satisfaction, punctuality, new rolling stock, withdrawals from service, accessibility, international connections, HSL services, NS strategy. | • | A better train product by processing timetable suggestions made by consumer organisations | ||
• | Clearer general conditions for refunds for delays | |||
• | Improvements in Group Return product (implemented in 2018) | |||
Improvements in the proposal to introduce travel assistance by 2025 at all stations on the main rail network called at by NS, that have been made accessible by ProRail and where transfer safety considerations on the platform allow this | ||||
• | No differences between NS Flex and Pre-Paid Travel in first-class fares, following advice by consumer organisations (decision of October 2018, implemented in 2019) | |||
Interest groups, NGOs, Anders Reizen (employers' coalition) and political bodies | Involvement, consulting and information | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 11, 16 | Including: | |
Encouraging sustainable mobility (via employers), public transport contribution to the Climate Agreement, role of NS in generation of energy, positioning of NS with regard to onshore solar farms, making replacement bus service climate neutral, social policy, promoting accessible train travel for people with impairments | • | NS is increasing the sustainability of its mobility policy by, as from 1 January 2018, only facilitating 100% electric person-related lease cars, and by offering a scheme to encourage employees to use electric or regular bicycles to come to work | ||
• | NS contributes to implementing the mobility measures in the Climate Agreement | |||
• | NS contributes to the energy transition by making its assets available for generating energy | |||
• | NS endorses the recommendations in the code of conduct for onshore solar farms aimed at limiting the spatial impact of such solar farms as much as possible | |||
• | NS implemented climate-neutral replacement bus services in 2019, and in the lead-up to this checked the proposed approach with NGOs and incorporated their recommendations | |||
• | In various invitations to tender, NS has included SROI obligations for suppliers to engage people who are at a distance the labour market | |||
• | At five stations, NS is introducing the 'one-more-step service' to guide people with a visual impairment in a complex NS station to connecting public transport, a taxi or the pick-up/drop-off location | |||
• | NS is expanding the number of stations where assistance is offered | |||
• | NS is organising an awareness campaign to teach staff and passengers appropriate ways to help people suffering from dementia in public transport | |||
Trade unions | Intensive involvement | 4, 12, 16 | • | Implementation of the 2017-2020 collective labour agreements and resulting HR policy |
Collective labour agreement, personal safety, pension plan, social plan, personal and social consequences of organisational changes, signs suggesting satisfaction or dissatisfaction among staff, employees’ interests, long-term NS strategy | • | Implementation of the Social Plan | ||
• | Implementation of the pension plan | |||
• | Implementation and evaluation of a package of measures for personal safety and the implementation decree | |||
Suppliers, subcontractors | Consulting and making acquaintance, negotiating conditions, making contractual agreements, intensifying collaboration, innovation and development | 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 | • | Achievement of CSR objectives (by making the entire supply chain more sustainable) |
Sustainability, specifying, transparency, financial position, integrity, innovation, reliability, risk management, collaboration, intensification | • | Introduction of new products and services | ||
• | Focus on more value creation for NS | |||
• | Focus on reliability and availability of products and services for business-critical processes | |||
• | More attention for compliance with regulatory requirements | |||
• | Agreeing on mutual expectations with suppliers | |||
• | Introducing new suppliers | |||
• | Encouraging cooperation and innovation with partners | |||
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, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12 | • | New, more modern stations and redevelopment of station surroundings |
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, access gates, personal/railway safety, transport sector-wide agreements, regional franchises, noise nuisance near the railways, hub development | • | New agreements on night trains and an early-morning train between Almere and Schiphol | ||
• | Agreement about the installation and accelerated roll-out of access gates | |||
• | 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 | |||
• | Customisation in the main rail network timetable and improved connections to regional public transport | |||
• | Investment by public authorities in Haarlem-Zandvoort line to enable NS to deploy additional trains in the summer and for events | |||
• | Feasibility study for high-frequency Sprinter service on the Amsterdam western route, Airport Sprinter and Sprinter frequency for the province of Noord-Brabant | |||
• | MIRT multimodal hub at Schiphol on the investment agenda in conjunction with investments in Greater Amsterdam | |||
• | Various bicycle storage facilities free of charge for the first 24 hours, extension of P+R sites | |||
• | Formulating regional goals for the vision of the future for public transport | |||
• | Eindhoven International Hub XL | |||
• | Door-to-door journey (incl. MaaS projects) | |||
• | Optimising the Noord-Holland North timetable | |||
Internal: central and local works councils, vocational training | See Attractive and inclusive employer |