NS uses a range of indicators to measure the quality of its services on the main rail network and the high-speed line. However, this year the value of these indicators in terms of reflecting our actual efforts and performance is limited. This is because there is not much point in comparing this year's figures with those for ‘normal’ years. For example, the indicators for customer satisfaction and information during disruptions are not available for 2020 as a whole, because of restrictions on the fieldwork required to produce them.
We do have the figures for the first two months of 2020 (before the outbreak of COVID-19). We have decided not to publish our performance on targets for 2020. In the explanatory notes we will only discuss the factors other than COVID-19 that have influenced our results. The indicators that we did monitor reflect good performance and show that we met the quality requirements. This means that our passengers who depended on the train even during the COVID-19 crisis could still count on us to provide a reliable service.
Performance | Realisation in 2020 | Minimum value for 2020 |
General customer satisfaction with the domestic main rail network | -- | 74% |
Overall customer assessment HSL services | -- | 68% |
Customer satisfaction with personal safety | -- | 81% |
Punctuality for passengers (to 5 minutes) on the main rail network | 93.5% | 88.9% |
Punctuality for passengers (to 15 minutes) on the main rail network | 97.9% | 96.7% |
Punctuality for passengers (to 5 minutes) on the HSL | 85.2% | 82.1% |
Quality of connections to other carriers | 96.7% | 94.0% |
Seat availability at peak times (main rail network) | 97.3% | 94.3% |
Seat availability on HSL at peak times | 98.1% | 91.2% |
Top 10 most crowded trains | 1.4% | 4.9% |
Travel information during the train journey | 85.0% | 81.4% |
Information on the train and at stations about delays | -- | 75.0% |
Effective 15 December 2019, the HSL South Improvement Programme is subject to a new governance approach aimed at continuous performance improvements on HSL South and securing those improvements in the management structure. For 2020, the process of embedding operational control in the Product Platform for HSL-Domestic / IC Brussels and the Process Platform has proved quite effective.
Main rail network franchise for 2015-2024
The State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management awarded the rail transport franchise for the main rail network to NS in December 2014. The franchise runs from 1 January 2015 for a term of ten years. Whereas the transport franchise focuses on the longer term, NS also draws up an annual transport plan for the coming year. In the transport plan, we link our aims and objectives to specific actions and performance indicators for the coming year, ensuring that the goals will be achieved over the course of the franchise. The definitions of the KPIs and the descriptions of the measurement methods used can be found in the 2020 Transport Franchise Definitions.
Minimum values
Minimum value: Value for the yearly minimum level of performance required for a performance indicator.
Changed indicators
Every month, NS reports on its performance with regard to well-defined and established KPIs. The annual review of the definitions has not resulted in any substantive changes.