The Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT), which monitors rail transport in the Netherlands, has now issued an order banning any testing or operation of the trains, which were withdrawn from service on the Amsterdam – Brussels high-speed line on January 17 due to a series of technical problems. Meanwhile, the Dutch parliament has announced it will conduct an inquiry into the affair.
NS made the statement after meeting the Dutch secretary of state for infrastructure, Mrs Wilma Mansveld, who is responsible for railways. Based on information already submitted about the technical problems with the V250 trains, Mansveld said NS' intention to abandon the fleet "makes sense." However, the final decision will rest with the Dutch finance minister, Mr Jeroen Dijsselbloem, who represents the government as the sole shareholder in NS. NS will now prepare a detailed report for the two ministers.
In expectation that the abandonment of the order will be approved, NS has instructed its lawyers to prepare a compensation claim. NS has taken delivery of nine out of the 16 trains ordered from AnsaldoBreda in 2004.
The announcement by NS follows Belgian National Railways' (SNCB) decision on May 31 to cancel its order for three of the V250 trains for the Brussels – Amsterdam high-speed service.
