Withdrawal of trains from the timetable

In 2023, each day NS withdrew an average of 17.7% of its trains for maintenance, repairs and refurbishment. The logistical withdrawal of trains has increased due to shortages of maintenance and repair mechanics, shunters and managers, among other reasons. To increase the number of seats for passengers, we aim to reduce the number of train withdrawals. To this end, we are implementing measures to speed up maintenance and repairs, such as the introduction of camera inspections, ‘first-time-right’ repairs and network teams to handle repairs locally so trains do not have to go to a maintenance site first. By recruiting and training mechanics, we are expanding the pool of new mechanics and making it possible for our current mechanics to be deployed more flexibly.