The competition watchdog recently saw the judge put an end to a fine of 41 million euros that was imposed on the NS, but ACM is now appealing. The deadline to do this expired on Thursday. The appeal is initially pro forma, a spokeswoman explains. ACM has not yet finished analyzing the first ruling, and will decide at a later stage whether it will actually bring the matter to a head.

The NS was fined in 2017 for the malpractices surrounding the award of the Limburg public transport 2016-2031. The public tender, conducted by the province, sparked a national scandal in 2015 when it emerged that the NS had crossed the line in several ways in order to win from competing bidders Arriva and Veolia. 

ACM finally ruled that the company has abused its own dominant position on the Dutch railways by thwarting competitors and offering too little on the Limburg job. At that time, NS daughter Abellio, the initial winner of the bid, had already lost the job to competitor Arriva.