Green entrepreneurship

We aim to make 2,500 to 5,000 m² of land around our stations more nature-friendly each year. Together with ProRail and local municipalities, we create flower meadows, green roofs and blooming plants on platforms and in station surroundings. We also plant characteristic trees that can grow old, attracting insects and birds and boosting biodiversity.

You can already see these green spaces at stations such as Leiden Centraal, Rotterdam Centraal, Arnhem Centraal, Utrecht Centraal, Bussum-Zuid and Enkhuizen. Station Driebergen-Zeist is a great example where NS and the municipality have worked together to green the area.

Green business is an important part of NS’s sustainable strategy. Green spaces not only boost biodiversity and create pleasant station environments but also support climate adaptation. That is why an EcoCheck is conducted across all station areas and property sites in the Netherlands. Developed by NS, the EcoCheck measures biodiversity in a given area. The results form the foundation for green maintenance and improvements carried out by NS in collaboration with ProRail. Both organisations aim to make a positive contribution to biodiversity and climate adaptation.

Various measures are implemented to have a positive impact on biodiversity at and around stations.

Plant-based food is better for the environment than meat and dairy because it produces less CO₂ emissions. That is why we are steadily expanding the plant-based options in our station shops.

At Kiosk and StationsHuiskamer, for example, you will find more fruit and snack vegetables, a vegan satay sandwich, plant-based iced coffee and new salads. At Julia’s, you can choose soy milk in your cappuccino, a grilled vegetable sandwich or a vegetarian pasta Bolognese without cheese. Products with a plant-based option are marked with green price tags.