Passenger kilometers increased 4.6%, compared with forecast growth of 1.9%. The rate of growth was even higher at some major stations such as Rotterdam Central and Schiphol Airport.
Passenger satisfaction also improved, with 88% of passengers awarding NS a score of at least 7 out of 10, compared with 84% for the first half of 2018.
With pressure on the network increasing, NS is urging the government to allocate funding for capacity enhancements which would enable the operation of longer or more frequent trains.
If the growth in passenger volumes continues to exceed the rate forecast in the Dutch government’s 2014 National Market and Capacity Analysis (NMCA), the network is likely to reach capacity by 2027.
NS predicts that if growth continues at the rate seen in the first half of this year the network will reach capacity two years earlier.
Under the government’s prognosis, annual growth is forecast at 1.4-1.9% per year.
For international long-distance services, NS reports growth of between 10% and 20% for destinations such as Brussels, Paris, Frankfurt and London.
Performance
In first half of 2019 NS Group’s turnover increased by €285m year-on-year to €3.156bn. Turnover from Dutch operations climbed from €1.523bn to €1.582bn, driven in part by increasing passenger volumes.
Punctuality dropped slightly from 93.1% in the first half of 2018 to 92.9% in the first six months of this year, in part due to continuing operational difficulties on HSL South, where software problems on Traxx locomotives have impacted the performance of IC Direct services between Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Breda. Punctuality on the route fell to 82.6%, compared with 84.8% in the corresponding period in 2018. NS reports that punctuality on these services is now improving following the implementation of an improvement programme.
NS reports that it is on course to meet the KPIs set for the midterm review of the Core Network Concession, which encompasses the operation of most passenger services on the Dutch network.
International
International subsidiary Abellio also had a strong start to 2019, with growth in both its German and British operations. Revenues in Britain, where Abellio operates the ScotRail, Greater Anglia and West Midlands franchises (the latter in a consortium with JR East and Mitsui), increased by €188m year-on-year to €1.322bn. Abellio will add to its British portfolio on August 18, when it takes over operation of the East Midlands franchise from Stagecoach.
In Germany, revenues increased from €168m to €252m after the start of the Rhine-Ruhr Express (RRX) and Saxony Diesel Network contracts in December 2018.
The first-half results include a number of one-off items. NS allocated €42.5m to compensate the families of Dutch Holocaust victims, who were transported by train to Nazi concentration camps. NS received a payment of €21m following the sale of the AnsaldoBreda V250 Fyra high-speed trains to Trenitalia and €41m from the Consumer and Markets Authority (ACM) after the Court of Justice in Rotterdam overturned a fine against the operator.
NS reported a net profit of €94m for the first half of this year, up from €21m a year ago.
