NS 2019

Net finance income

The net finance income was a negative amount of €51 million (2018: €14 million). In 2019, interest in connection with lease commitments under IFRS 16 (€37 million) is recognised under this item.

Income tax

Corporate (income) tax was calculated on the basis of the applicable tax rates, taking account of the tax rules and the valuation of temporary differences.

Other tax information

Payroll tax is a tax that NS, as the employer, withholds from the salaries of its employees and then pays to the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration. NS’s costs are largely subject to the high VAT rate.

Profit for the period and profit appropriation

A profit attributable to the shareholder of €208 million was recorded in 2019. A proposal will be made to pay a dividend of €73 million, equalling 35% of the profit for 2019, and to add the remaining €135 million to the reserves.

Equity and total assets

At the end of the year under review, equity was €3,781 million (2018: €3,627 million). The profit attributable to the shareholder of €208 million was allocated to the equity. The return on equity was 5.6 % in 2019 (2018: 3.0%).

Investments

NS invested €769 million in 2019 (2018: €898 million), for example in New Generation Sprinter trains including a follow-up order, New Generation Intercity trains, the overhaul and modernisation of VIRM1 trains and changes to maintenance centres to

Financing

The net cash flow from operating activities was €1,146 million (2018: €937 million). This increase can be explained mainly by the higher result and by the rise in operating capital by €87 million (2018: €479 million).

Financial position

The robustness of NS’s financial position is reflected in the structure and the composition of its capital, and the available cash and cash equivalents including committed credit facilities and off-balance sheet liabilities (mainly operating lease

2020 and beyond

After having achieved significant improvements in our most important KPIs, including customer satisfaction and punctuality, we will continue to focus on operational performance on the track.

An attractive and caring employer

NS is one of the largest employers in the Netherlands and is a strong brand in the labour market. Every day, our more than 20,000 colleagues enable people’s door-to-door journeys throughout the Netherlands.

Recruitment

Like previous years, 2019 was characterised by a tight labour market. The number of job vacancies is increasing, unemployment figures are falling, the population is ageing and the share of young people in the labour market is declining.

Diversity and inclusiveness

NS wants to be seen as an attractive employer where everyone can feel at home. To that end, we will have to ensure that our employees and managers, overall, reflect the diversity that we see in society at large.

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Our activities and achievments in the Netherlands