Which personal data do we use?
We place great importance on the safety of our travellers and employees. For this reason we use CCTV. Cameras record footage that can be reviewed later. If there is an incident we can act quickly and assist in detecting and prosecuting offences.
To improve safety further, travellers can report feeling unsafe on the train by sending a WhatsApp message or an SMS. That message puts the traveller in direct contact with the NS control room, which can call on colleagues for assistance if needed. We use your phone number for this purpose.
What do we use your data for?
Unsafe situations are a societal issue that we also face. Travelling by train is generally safe, but sometimes situations occur that feel unsafe, for example when aggressive travellers without a valid ticket behave badly, when there are vandals or loiterers, or when there is excessive crowding around the gates.
The legal basis for this processing is: legitimate interest.
One of the measures we use is CCTV at stations and on trains. This is an important tool in practice for preventing offences, supporting investigations and prosecuting crimes, and addressing other breaches. Another key purpose is to support a targeted deployment of emergency services during incidents or when help is requested. CCTV can also be used to support dispute resolution and to reclaim damage to NS property. It is also valuable for detecting excessive crowding in time, allowing NS to take measures that ensure the gates remain safe and flow quickly. Without CCTV we could not adequately safeguard the safety of our travellers, employees and property.
CCTV is used openly and is signposted with stickers. NS and its travellers have an interest in making these recordings. We have also fitted cameras to the front and rear of some train types. These cameras help us process incidents on the track more quickly and can be used to help prevent future incidents.
Security staff, Veiligheid & Service employees, chief conductors and service staff on all stations and trains may wear a bodycam. They wear the bodycam to protect your safety and their own. The member of staff decides when to record a potential unsafe situation with the bodycam.
Without these recordings it would not be possible to investigate incidents afterwards or to safeguard the safety of our travellers and employees. We consider this interest to outweigh any intrusion into the privacy of a traveller or a member of staff. We ensure all footage is stored securely and access is limited to authorised personnel only.
By reporting unsafe situations via WhatsApp or SMS, NS can better improve safety on the train and offers a way to report socially unsafe situations. In each conversation you can give feedback on the service and how your report was handled by clicking the link in the chat. An external research agency processes your responses for analysis purposes. This is done using anonymised data.
Technically Guided Departure process
Since the 2025 timetable, NS has operated the Airport Sprinter using the so-called Technically Guided Departure process. Unlike the usual situation where the chief conductor initiates departure, the process is driven by technology and facilitated by the train driver. The technology includes exterior cameras and anti-entrapment and anti-drag protection on the train doors.
The camera images are sent to the driver’s cab to provide visual support for a safe departure. The twenty Sprinters Nieuwe Generatie (SNG) fitted with this technology are recognisable by the external cameras at the doors. The cameras record the platform and the footage is stored locally for seven days, accessible only to specialised staff.
Compatible use: scientific research and statistical purposes
Finally, we may use CCTV footage for scientific research or statistical purposes. This concerns research into the working environment for train drivers and potential improvements in efficiency and safety. Only blurred footage is used for this purpose so that individuals cannot be recognised. No personal data will be shared with third parties for this purpose.
Who do we share data with?
We use third parties to provide IT services, for example for the trial mentioned above for incident handling. These third parties are processors on our behalf and process the data only for us and for no other purpose. We have agreements with these parties about the processing of personal data.
We may share your data with law enforcement agencies such as the police for the detection and prevention of criminal offences. Footage can be requested from NS by an authorised investigative authority.
Under certain circumstances we may transfer your personal data outside the European Economic Area. If we do so, we take appropriate measures with those parties, for example by using the standard contractual clauses adopted by the European Commission.
Requesting CCTV footage
If you want CCTV footage used in the investigation of a possible criminal offence, contact the police. The police can request the footage from NS.
If you want access to personal data of yourself on CCTV, read the ‘Your rights’ section under ‘Access to CCTV footage’. It explains how to make a request and what information we need to search precisely.
How long do we keep your data?
Only authorised personnel have access to the recordings. If there has been no incident, footage is kept for 28 days and then deleted. If there is an incident, the footage is kept until the matter has been fully resolved. In addition, we may proactively keep footage that contains incidents if that is necessary.
For reports of unsafe situations we keep your phone number for 28 days.