NS is one of the biggest electricity consumers in the Netherlands. We use 90% for running the trains and 10% for our buildings. Our aim is to be climate-neutral by 2020. That is why we want to use energy as responsibly as possible.

CO₂ emissions

As of 2017, travelling by electric NS trains in the Netherlands results in no net CO₂ emissions. The electricity needed to run the trains is generated by wind farms in the Netherlands, Belgium and Scandinavia. NS also no longer runs diesel trains for passenger transport. If buses are required in emergency situations, they do result in CO₂ emissions. We also measure the emissions of replacement bus transport. The measured emissions include the distance between the normal parking location and the place where they are deployed. Overall CO₂ emissions from transport at NS totalled 0.5 grams per passenger-kilometre in 2018 (2017: 1.0 g per passenger-km). In 2018 NS completed the tendering procedure for climate-neutral replacement bus transport in the Netherlands and signed an agreement with two bus companies. As of 1 January 2019, the buses that NS deploys to replace trains run on organic fuel based on waste and residual flows. As a result, as of 2019 the journey at NS is always completely climate neutral.
In addition to the trains, in 2017 the electricity used in all NS buildings in the Netherlands became completely ‘green’ as it was generated by wind power. Of the gas used in our buildings, 50% was purchased from green sources and it will be fully climate-neutral by 2020.
In 2018 we emitted direct emissions (scope 1) in the Netherlands through the gas energy consumption in our buildings and fuel consumption by our buses. This amounted to 14.1 kilotons of CO₂ (25.6 in 2017). Indirect emissions (scope 2) as a result of the consumption of heat in our buildings were 0.6 kilotons of CO₂ (0.6 in 2017). At the start of the franchise in 2015, these CO₂ emissions were 77 kilotons (scope 1) and 487 kilotons (scope 2) respectively. In total, we have therefore avoided over 0.5 megatons of CO₂ emissions since then.

Energy consumption

NS consumes electricity (1,358 GWh), diesel (3.2 million litres), heat (36.6 TJ) and gas (6.5 millionm³) as energy resources for trains, buses, stations, workshops and offices. When converted to GWh, this equates to 1,457 GWh in energy, of which 1,386 GWh is green energy. With our thermal storage system, we generate the equivalent of 24 GWh of heat and cold.
In 2018, an average of 71.3 Wh of energy was used per passenger-kilometre for journeys with NS. This is less than in 2017 (71.6 Wh/passenger-km). Even so, we did not achieve our target for the improvement in energy efficiency. That is partly due to our efforts to offer passengers more seats (in peak periods): we put on more trains and temporarily used older, less energy-efficient rolling stock. Due to the influx of new and upgraded rolling stock and a slightly higher occupancy rate we were able to achieve a modest improvement in energy efficiency.

Energy consumption of NS trains in the Netherlands (electricity, diesel, including replacement bus transport converted to GWh)

Gram CO₂ emissions per passenger kilometer NS train transport in the Netherlands