ANP
News from the NOS•
More than 600 NS International employees have slept badly since the government announced it would “sell” international high-speed lines to the market. These and other concerns are spelled out in a letter from the Central Works Council (COR) of the NS, addressed to Secretary of State Vivianne Heijnen of Infrastructure and Water Management (I&W).
Heijnen done earlier this month plans announced to further open the railways to the market. The plans are part of a new package of requirements that a railway company must meet in order to access the Dutch main railway network, the so-called ‘concession’.
The NS will have this concession until 2025. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management plans to grant the concession to NS also in the period after 2025. But there are plans for this new concession to allow for greater competition on the national railway market. These plans are of concern to NS employees. The Committee fears for the continuation of the company’s existence, as stated in the letter.
‘The beginning of the end’
According to the COR, which represents NS’s 20,000 employees, opening up the market doesn’t make much sense. This does not “lead to a better quality product for travelers,” write COR president Bas Kuperus and secretary Alptekin Akdogan. “We don’t think it makes much sense to tune the system if it doesn’t improve its performance.”
Furthermore, the NS should prepare for the plans envisaged in the coming years. NS must therefore transfer activities such as maintenance, customer service and travel information to third parties. The Committee is concerned that the quality and reliability of a national rail journey will consequently decrease. This can also increase costs.
“In our view, when these principles become reality, the beginning of the end is in sight for NS and we are very concerned about it,” writes the COR.
Loss of security and convenience
The works council also criticizes plans to open international high-speed lines to Berlin, Frankfurt, London and Paris starting in 2025. Since then, passengers on international trains have lost the safety and comfort of these. connections. The management of the NS was already critic on these floors.
The Committee fears that the intentions of the Secretary of State “will not contribute to improving the situation of the railways”.
