Together with our partners
Our ambition is to keep the Netherlands accessible to everyone. To achieve this, we collaborate with numerous organizations, governments, and companies. Good cooperation and clarity about how we need each other is essential.
Authorities
Authorities at all levels are important to us. The Ministry of Finance, as our shareholder, is involved in setting the NS strategy and ensures that NS is not only socially relevant but also financially healthy. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management determines national traffic and transport policy, including public transport, and on behalf of the government, the investment calendar for infrastructure. IenW is also our concession grantor. Additionally, the government must take the lead in investments. While railway performance has risen above average in recent years, investments in public transport lag behind those in neighboring countries. More investment is necessary to get more people to travel by public transport, achieve climate goals, strengthen the economy, and make traffic safer and more comfortable. Investments that yield multiple social benefits and could possibly be partially made with private parties.
ProRail
ProRail is responsible for the maintenance and renewal of existing infrastructure and for the construction of new infrastructure. Good performance from ProRail is necessary to maintain and improve our own performance. To run more trains in the future, we coordinate the train services and infrastructure requirements better with ProRail, clarify where we can use infrastructure more effectively, and how investments can increase capacity.
At the station
At stations, NS and ProRail collaborate on daily operations and station development. At stations without facilities, NS considers opportunities for a kiosk or to open a comfortable waiting area with coffee together with local entrepreneurs and partners. We always consult with local authorities, for example, to offer perspective to local entrepreneurs or people with barriers to the labor market.
In the region
In addition to good connections at the national level, it is very important to connect metropolitan areas more finely and frequently and to provide customized solutions in less busy regions. This requires close cooperation between provinces, municipalities, companies, and carriers. NS contributes its expertise to address mobility and spatial planning challenges as effectively as possible. In the four major cities, collaboration with urban transport providers is important.
Crossing the border
We want to realize our international ambitions to improve the services of Eurocity Direct, EuroCity, IC Brussels, Eurostar, and ICE together with the railway companies in the neighboring countries. From door to door, NS wants to offer travelers great freedom to choose the right mode of transport at the right moment. Where possible with our own services but also by making use of other providers. For example, with partners we will offer shared cars at stations in regional areas.
Mobility Alliance
Offering the best connections means looking beyond public transport. The Netherlands faces major mobility challenges not only on the railways but also on roads and bike paths, especially during peak hours. To solve this, we need to join forces. That is why NS has united with 25 other key mobility parties in the Mobility Alliance. Together, we want to ensure that freedom of movement in the Netherlands is maintained in the future.