If the current trend of deteriorating service provision continues, the long-term consequences will be significant, with potential economic and social implications for the Netherlands.
The Dutch Railways (NS) recently announced that train ticket prices will increase by more than 2025 percent from 8,7. This news comes at a time when the organization is facing serious operational problems and criticism from politicians and the public. To reduce costs, NS is also eliminating 500 jobs at the head office through natural attrition. It is also being investigated whether the refurbishment of trains can be simplified. However, these measures raise questions about the consequences for services and the traveler experience.
Sole shareholder
NS was transformed into a public limited company with the State of the Netherlands as the sole shareholder. This makes it a private company and no longer a state company. The national government has determined that NS may transport passengers on the most important rail routes in the Netherlands until 2033, the so-called main rail network. This concession is subject to strict requirements, such as punctuality, sufficient seats, good travel information and reasonable rates. The current concession expires in December 2024, but NS's performance has been under pressure for some time.
Before the summer, the House of Representatives has demanded that NS present measures against the increasing disruptions on the railways and the often massive crowds in the trains that are still running. The railway company has been placed under “enhanced supervision” by a motion from the NSC to investigate why the quality of service has deteriorated in recent years. This motion received broad support in the House. NS is performing below par, especially on the high-speed line (HSL), with frequent disruptions resulting in the floor value, as agreed in the concession, not being achieved. There are also more frequent failures on other routes, which raises the question of the causes of this decline in quality.
These developments come on top of the existing frustration among travelers. The increase in train ticket prices will further put pressure on the accessibility of public transport, especially for people with lower incomes. In addition, cuts in staffing and train maintenance could further undermine the quality of service. The loss of 500 jobs could lead to longer customer service wait times and less support for travelers in case of problems. Less frequent train refurbishments can result in a degraded experience and safety for passengers.
Parallel to the problems at NS, PostNL is also facing significant challenges. Funeral mail is too often left behind or only arrives after the funeral or cremation, which makes the postal company unreliable. This is just one of many examples of what goes wrong. These situations cause a lot of grief and frustration for relatives who rely on the postal service during a difficult time.
The postal company has started removing about 10 percent of the orange mailboxes, starting in Friesland, Groningen and North Holland, and then gradually in other provinces. This happens despite the legal requirement that people within a radius of 1 kilometer must have access to a letterbox. The central government has appointed PostNL to handle the postal services in the Netherlands, with obligations such as delivering mail five days a week and delivering a high percentage of mail the next day. However, PostNL has not been meeting these standards for quite some time.
The reduction in the number of letterboxes and the reduced quality of postal delivery are causing increasing complaints among consumers. This will cause additional problems, especially in sparsely populated areas, where people already have to travel further to access postal services. The declining service quality undermines confidence in PostNL and raises questions about the future of affordable and accessible postal services in the Netherlands.
These developments emphasize the need for the government to monitor compliance with quality standards more closely and to ensure that these companies take their responsibilities to consumers seriously. If the current trend of deteriorating service provision continues, the long-term consequences will be significant, with potential economic and social implications for the Netherlands.
