NS is working towards the midterm review in 2019, when the authorities will examine our performance. By making passengers our top priority we are making train services more robust, and we are offering a seamless door-to-door journey. Even so, things are yet not good enough on every route every time. We want to report openly and transparently about our performance.

Our report is in chapters that largely relate to our strategic themes:

1. An attractive physical offering

2. Optimising the customer experience

3. World-class stations

4. Performance of HSL South

5. Perfect execution

6. New and upgraded rolling stock

7. Organisational improvements

8. Safe and sustainable travel

9. Abellio

Minimum and target values

Minimum value: Value for the yearly minimum level of performance required for a performance indicator
Target value: Value for the minimum level of performance required for a performance indicator in 2019 and 2024

A midterm review will be held in 2019, as prescribed in the main rail network franchise. This evaluation will assesses whether the way the franchise activities have been carried out by NS has resulted in the improvements required for the Long-Term Rail Agenda. The baseline and target values for the period 2020-2024 will also be determined during the midterm review.

Changed indicators

In 2017 the standards for ‘5-minute punctuality for passengers on the main rail network’,
‘5-minute punctuality for passengers on HSL South’ and ‘Quality of connections with other carriers’ were changed while retaining the overall level of ambition. This section describes these changes.

To control the daily train service, ProRail traffic control used the IT system Verkeersleidingsysteem (VKL, Traffic Control System) until early 2017. On 22 January, ProRail transferred to a new system, Verkeersleiding Operationeel Systeem (VOS, Traffic Control Operational System). These systems also record the train arrival times. This information is used to calculate four performance indicators: ‘Quality of connections with other carriers’ and the three for ‘Punctuality for passengers’. The source data is different in the new system to the old one, which changes the outcomes for the above-mentioned performance indicators. In view of the different outcomes, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management made the changes set out below to the baseline and target values based on Article 17.7 of the franchise for the main rail network for 2015-2025. These changes apply as of 2018, as well as retroactively to 2017. This change was discussed with the stakeholders and audited by KPMG. This conversion had neither a positive nor a negative effect on passengers.

Changes in 2018

As of 2018, in consultation with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, a number of changes were made to the performance indicators. These changes are mainly technical in nature and are driven by the interests of passengers, external changes or upgrades to IT systems. The changes in these performance indicators already had an effect on the results in 2017, which is why the standards have also been adjusted retroactively.

Journey information in the train sector

As of 2018, the journey information is no longer compared against the annual plan but against the current timetable, as determined just a few days beforehand. This improves the consistency between the journey information channels such as apps, the website and screens at the station and reduces the number of unnecessary alerts for passengers.

Quality of NS connections to other carriers

As per 2018, it has been decided to update the list of changeover stations and at the same time expand it from the 18 most important stations to all 28 stations in the main rail network where passengers can transfer to a different rail carrier. Because the change also has an influence on the realisation figures, the minimum value and target value have been adjusted upwards without changing with ambition level (‘ambition-neutral’).