5-minute norm
A European punctuality standard stating that a train is only deemed to have been delayed if it arrives at least five minutes late.
A2 corridor
The rail line between Eindhoven and Amsterdam.
Additionality
For the specialists, ‘additionality’ refers to additional renewable production capacity or further CO2reductions on top of what would have happened under the current market conditions and the existing legal framework (including governmental subsidies).
ATBvv
The ATBvv (automatic train protection system – improved version) is a system that also automatically stops trains at danger signals at speeds of under 40 km/h. The system is an adaptation of the ATBEG (automatic train protection system – first generation).
Boarding Zone
A delimited zone shown by blue signs within which a train always stops. One sign shows the start of this boarding zone and the other sign shows the end. By placing this boarding zone differently at every station (at the front, middle or back of the train), it should be possible to distribute passengers much more effectively over the length of the train.
Care on track
Cleaning programme in which the trains are cleaned during the train journey, so that there is more time for targeted cleaning jobs at the ends of the route.
Customer satisfaction
The opinions formulated by passengers about the services provide by NS.
Deregulation
Removal of limitations and barriers to access to the transport market by governmental bodies, which makes competition possible.
Dossier Duurzaam
The ‘Sustainability Dossier’, an annual monitor that NS uses to assess its reputation for sustainability among consumers.
Energy efficiency
The objective is to reduce the amount of energy needed to supply products or services. NS is improving its energy efficiency by maximising the use of modern trains with lower energy consumption such as the Sprinter Light Train (SLT) and by upgrading old trains to modern trains that are more economical in energy terms. Energy consumption is also reduced by energy-saving driving and through energy-efficient setups and shunting. We keep track of the Energy Efficiency Index for this.
Energy-efficient setups and shunting
Achieving energy gains by turning the lighting and heating off during shunting to counteract unnecessary energy consumption during ‘waiting’ periods.
Energy-saving driving
Achieving energy gains by adopting a calm and punctual driving style, accelerating fast and letting the train roll slowly to a stop.
Environmental profit and loss statement
A profit and loss account in which the ‘value’ of environmental impacts on society is calculated.
ERTMS
European Rail Traffic Management System. The new European safety system on the railways that will in the longer term replace the ATB system (automatic train protection).
E-ticket
An e-ticket or online ticket is an access or travel ticket that is ordered and provided over the Internet.
Executive Committee (ExCo)
The ExCo consists of the Executive Board plus the directors of the five business units, the Communications & Strategy director and the HR & Organisation director. The ExCo is involved in important decisions for NS.
Flirt
The NS Flirt is an electrically powered type of train used by Nederlandse Spoorwegen. These trains have been built by the Swiss train builder Stadler Rail and are based on that company’s Flirt 3 platform. The trains are intended in the first instance to relieve the rolling stock shortages and to cope with growth in passenger numbers on the main rail network. The Flirt (Flinker Leichter Innovativer Regionaltriebzug) features light and space in the interior.
Focus routes
Routes with systematic problems in terms of punctuality, connections or smooth progress of the journey for specific groups of passengers. NS and ProRail are jointly putting in extra effort on these routes to reduce the delays and improve customer satisfaction.
Fourth European Railway Package
On 30 January 2013, the European commissioner Siim Kallas presented the Fourth European Railway Package. The European Commission is aiming to use the Fourth Railway Package for further reforms of the railway sector, which it believes is performing poorly, to promote innovation and encourage better services in order to stimulate growth.
Franchise
An agreement by which a governmental body outsources all or part of the commercial operation of an economic activity to a third party, which then bears the risk of that commercial operation. The Dutch authorities have awarded the commercial operation of the main rail network to NS for the period 2015 to 2025.
HSL South
The 125-km line that is suitable for high speeds, running from Schiphol to the Belgian border, with a branch to Breda.
Hub
A place where numerous roads, tracks or other modalities come together.
Impact analysis
By analysing our impact on the materially relevant themes and providing information about it, we can enter into a dialogue with our stakeholders about those themes and target our efforts to increase our positive impact and decrease our negative impact.
Integrity portal
A platform that NS staff can go to if they have any questions about integrity, compliance and risks, or where they can report any such issues.
Intercity
A passenger train that provides a rapid connection between locations, stopping in principle only at the larger, more important stations. This means that the Intercity (IC) is highly suited to long-distance travel.
Level playing field
Fairness principle that focuses on creating conditions in which different bidders are able to make competitive bids based on their specific characteristics and starting from the same baseline.
LOCOV
LOCOV, the national public transport users' forum, is where consumer organisations represent the interests of rail passengers. They do so by holding discussions with and advising Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS), ProRail and the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment. The consumer organisations advise NS, ProRail and the ministry.
Long-Term Rail Agenda
A step forward in quality on the railways is needed if all these wishes and goals are to be met. With that in mind, the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment drew up the Long-Term Rail Agenda in 2012.
Lost time Injury frequency rate (LTIFR)
An event that results in an absence from work of longer than one working day or shift. This could for instance be a workplace accident. This does not include work done by contractors and accidents to their staff.
Main rail network
The rail network on which Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) has the exclusive right to run passenger trains.
Market regulation
The entirety of legislation and regulations that describes which companies may be active on the market and under what conditions. Proper market regulation aims to set up the markets in such a way that their social functioning is optimised. The aim must be to find a balance between market forces and regulation.
Materiality
The mix of the importance to stakeholders on the one hand and the actual impact that NS can have on the topic on the other.
Mid-term review
A check to assess whether the execution of the franchise activities by NS has resulted in the improvements required for the Long-Term Rail Agenda.
Minimum baseline
The norm that NS must achieve as a minimum for the main rail network KPIs during the years 2015 to 2019. If NS does not succeed, a penalty from the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment will follow.
Modified timetable
Controlled changes in the train traffic when there is an impending threat of a situation to which it is vulnerable, e.g. snowfall, extreme cold or a major storm front. A modified timetable creates more space on the tracks. There will then be fewer trains running, which reduces the chance of train traffic getting clogged up.
NedRailways
Precursor to Abellio, the NS subsidiary that operates public transport franchises commercially abroad and in the Netherlands.
New Generation Sprinter
Working title for the third generation of the NS Sprinter trains. These new trains will be available from 2018 onwards for passenger transport.
NS Extra
A free programme for passengers with a personal OV-chipkaart, allowing them to benefit throughout the year from personalised services, exclusive benefits and special offers.
Occupancy rate
Standard in which the numbers of passengers are compared against the number of available seats in the train.
OV Service Shop
A new service concept with service shops – information desks at the stations where customers can get help straight away with all their questions about travelling by train.The various carriers are cooperating closely in the OV Service Shops.
OVNL
Sector organisation of the public transport companies in which all the carriers in the Netherlands work together on travel products, customer service, payment solutions and innovation. The organisation is also going to represent the interests of the carriers in political and administrative circles about matters such as investments, fiscal issues and regulations.
Passenger-kilometre
A unit for the distance that an individual passenger covers using a particular mode of transport.
Performance indicator: customer satisfaction with personal safety on the train and at the station
The customer satisfaction figure for personal safety on the train and at the station is the percentage of customers who give a score of 7 out of 10 or higher for their perception of safety in the train or on the station respectively during the daytime or in the evenings after 19:00. The scope covers passengers in trains operated by NS under the franchise for the main rail network for 2015-2025. These are all domestic trains that serve the stations mentioned in the Main Rail Network Decree. Intercity direct, Thalys, IC Berlin, IC Brussels and ICE are the subject matter of a different customer satisfaction survey and are not included in this customer satisfaction figure.
Performance indicator: focus routes for passenger capacity at peak times
Focus routes for peak-time passenger capacity is an indicator of the average carrying capacity on the ten focus routes as specified in the franchise for the main rail network for 2015-2025. These focus routes were determined in 2014 based on the realisation figures for 2013. The transport capacity is calculated in the same way as the performance indicator for passenger capacity during peak times. The ten focus routes are:
Zaandam to Schiphol
Hoorn to Zaandam
Amsterdam Centraal to Hilversum
Schiphol to Almere Centrum
Amsterdam Centraal to Hoorn
Utrecht to ’s-Hertogenbosch
Tilburg to ’s-Hertogenbosch
Hilversum to Schiphol
’s-Hertogenbosch to Utrecht
Zaandam to Hoorn
The scope of the indicator covers all trains operated on the above-mentioned routes.
Performance indicator: focus routes for punctuality for passengers (indicator to be achieved jointly with the infrastructure manager)
The indicator for punctuality for passengers measures whether a train reached the stations measuring point and if so whether it did so with a delay of less than 15 minutes. This is calculated by taking the average of all trains that arrive at ten stations from a particular direction as specified in the franchise for the main rail network for 2015-2025. These focus routes were determined in 2014 based on the realisation figures for 2013. No allowance is made for the number of passengers in the trains: the calculation is done at the level of arrival punctuality for the actual trains.
All the trains that arrive from a given direction on one of the ten routes are weighted equally. The punctuality is measured with respect to what is known as the ‘daily plan’, which is drawn up 36 hours in advance; this means that a train that has not run or that is more than 15 minutes delayed counts as not having made it on time.
Performance indicator: general customer satisfaction with HSL South services
The general customer satisfaction figure with HSL South services gives the percentage of passengers who give the services for their journeys a score of 7 out of 10 or higher.
The scope covers trains that NS operates as HSL South services, namely Intercity direct and Thalys. Passengers are asked (only while on Dutch territory) whether they are prepared to take a customer satisfaction survey.
Performance indicator: general customer satisfaction with the domestic main rail network
The general customer satisfaction figure gives the percentage of passengers who give their journey a score of 7 out of 10 or higher.
The scope covers passengers in trains operated by NS under the franchise for the main rail network for 2015-2025. These are all domestic trains that serve the stations mentioned in the Main Rail Network Decree. Intercity direct, Thalys, IC Berlin, IC Brussels and ICE are the subject matter of a different customer satisfaction survey and are not included in this customer satisfaction figure.
Performance indicator: information on the train and at the station about disruptions
This indicator is an unweighted average of the information provided about disruptions in the train or at the station respectively and it gives the percentage of the total number of measured disruptions in train services for which information is given in the train or at the station respectively by announcements and/or screens.
Scope: Quality measurements are also made for all trains and stations where the questionnaire staff go for customer surveys. Measurements are made for trains operated by NS under the franchise for the main rail network for 2015-2025. These are all domestic trains that serve the stations mentioned in the Main Rail Network Decree. In 2015 however this still excludes the Intercity direct, Thalys, IC Berlin, IC Brussels and ICE.
Performance indicator: journey information in the train travel chain
Journey information in the train travel chain gives a picture of the accuracy and timeliness of journey information that NS sends via the InfoPlus system to all subscribers, such as the screens at stations. Journey information in the train travel chain is specifically about delayed departures and changes to departure platforms.
This indicator states whether the journey information provided five minutes before the actual departure of the train was correct when there was a delayed departure or platform change with respect to the annual plan. The information is deemed correct if it is determined after the event that the actual measured departure time deviated by less than three minutes from the information provided and the actual departure platform as measured matches the information provided. This performance indicator gives insights into the extent to which correct information is sent to the subscribers. This does not take account of any faults in the signs at the stations.
The scope covers all stops made by passenger trains of all operators in the Netherlands that have a planned departure time and departure track.
Performance indicator: passenger capacity at peak times
Passenger transport capacity at peak times gives an indication of the likelihood of a passenger finding a spot during the rush hour in any arbitrarily chosen train. The number of places available at peak times includes standing room in second class.
The scope of the indicator covers all trains operated by NS under the franchise for the main rail network for 2015-2025. These are all domestic trains that serve the stations mentioned in the Main Rail Network Decree, with the exception of Intercity direct, Thalys, IC Berlin, IC Brussels and ICE.
Performance indicator: passenger capacity at peak times on HSL South services (domestic)
Passenger capacity at peak times on domestic HSL South services indicates the likelihood that passengers in the Intercity direct in second class get a seat in the rush hour on the busiest train on working days on the route used most of my passengers (Schiphol to Rotterdam and vice versa). The chance of getting a seat is expressed as a percentage.
This indicator only applies to the Intercity direct. Seats can be reserved on the Thalys and the passenger is then certain of a seat; this is therefore outside the scope.
Performance indicator: punctuality for passengers (indicator to be achieved jointly with the infrastructure operator)
Punctuality for passengers gives an indication of the percentage of passengers for whom the train journey went as scheduled in terms of the journey time. That is to say that the train did actually run, was delayed by less than five minutes on arrival at one of the 35 measured points and that people changing trains were able to make their connections.
The scope covers all trains operated by NS under the franchise for the main rail network for 2015-2025. These are all domestic trains that serve the stations mentioned in the Main Rail Network Decree, with the exception of Intercity direct and Thalys, but including IC Berlin, IC Brussels and ICE.
Performance indicator: punctuality for passengers on the HSL South services (insofar as attributable to NS)
Punctuality for passengers on the HSL South services gives an indication of the percentage of Intercity direct and Thalys (domestic part of the route) passengers for whom the train journey went as scheduled. That means that the train did actually run and that it was not delayed by an amount exceeding the norm, insofar as this is attributable to NS.
The scope covers Intercity direct and Thalys at all stations where the arrival statistics are measured (Amsterdam Centraal, Schiphol, Rotterdam Centraal and Breda).
Pitstop
A maintenance method in which fault repairs on a train take place in a specially configured rail pit, which shortens the throughput time of the repairs and increases seating capacity for passengers.
Public Transport Companies Cooperative
The methods of payment for public transport will be extended over the coming years. The public transport companies are carrying out pilots for this in which new forms of payment are tested. In order to realise these innovations together, they have set up the Public Transport Companies Cooperative.
Public transport smartcard / OV-chipkaart
Means of payment for public transport in the Netherlands. The public transport smartcard is valid for train, bus, tram and metro services.
Punctuality
The extent to which train departure and/or arrival times in practice match up with the timetable. The punctuality is a key yardstick for the implementation of the planned process for the timetable.
Punctuality for passengers
The journey time of the customer including all connections with respect to their journey plan (travel advice that was issued, for instance). This is measured at 47 points.
Punctuality of arrival
The extent to which train arrival times in practice match up with the timetable. In general, the punctuality is a key yardstick for the implementation of the planned process for the timetable.
Railpocket
The pocket computer used by chief guards, service staff and drivers.
Risk appetite
The risk appetite of an organisation expresses the nature and scale of the risks that an organisation is prepared to accept in order to realise its business objectives.
Seating capacity
The capacity in terms of numbers of seats in a train for carrying passengers.
Service Forum
The NS Service Forum is a place where customers can go with questions or tips about travelling with NS. They can discuss things with other passengers here. In addition, the NS social media team is present in order to answer questions.
SPAD
An undesired non-technical case of a red sign not being observed (signal passed at danger).
Spoorslags Beter
Name of the new strategy that was presented on 1 March 2016. With this strategy, we are focusing on our core activities with the aim of improving performance for passengers. Spoorslags Beter focuses on achieving the agreed franchise KPIs by 2019.
Stakeholder dialogue
A stakeholder dialogue is an essential element of the sustainability report. In a stakeholder dialogue, all the groups of stakeholders are asked about various influences. A stakeholder dialogue gives an organisation a clear picture of what is important for its stakeholders. On the one hand, it helps determine the focus of accountability for social matters. On the other, it provides inspiration and input for further development of strategic sustainability policy.
Stakeholders
The people or groups who are affected by our actions and whose actions have an effect on our organisation and services.
Station ban
A safety measure that determines that a troublemaker is no longer a valid to be present at stations.
Station Experience Monitor
A tool used for measuring how passengers perceive the stations. Passengers at all rail stations in the Netherlands are asked to give an assessment and perception of the stations and station areas.
Target value
The norm for performance that NS must have achieved by the 2019 mid-term review. The target value is higher than the baseline value and so it shows how much NS will have improved over the intervening years.
TechniekFabriek
The NedTrain vocational school for train technology where pupils work and learn at the same time, with a job as the end result.
Timetable
The planning of a transport service in terms of times and places.
Train Experience Monitor
A tool for studying how changing elements in the train can affect the scores passengers give for the quality of the trains.
Transparency Benchmark
The Transparency Benchmark is a tool provided by the Ministry of Economic Affairs for improving reporting on social matters within the Netherlands. The Transparency Benchmark gives a picture of the way in which the largest Dutch businesses report their CSR activities.
Transport capacity
The capacity of a train to carry a number of passengers.
Travelling on account
A payment method for public transport in which passengers pay after the event and therefore do not need to have a balance on their public transport smartcard.
WACC
The weighted average cost of capital.
Withdrawal from service
A planned train-free period in the timetable for maintenance, renovation of repair work. This applies when infrastructure is allocated for track renovation and not for train traffic. Withdrawals from service are arranged by ProRail in consultation with the carriers.
Withdrawal of rolling stock
Taking rolling stock out of service for maintenance or repairs.