Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) has returned to black in the first half of 2014 thanks largely to a €125 million compensation payment from AnsaldoBreda.
NS has turned a €76 million loss in 2013 into a €133 million net profit in the first six months of 2014. As well as the out-of-court settlement from AnsaldoBreda, which was made in relation to the withdrawal of the beleagued V250 fleet, the company’s operating profit increased by €94 million.
Punctuality also improved in the first half of 2014 from 90.4 per cent to 93.3 per cent. NS is hoping that with the start of the new operating concession in 2015 and a closer partnership with ProRail it will see that figure rise further.
Other milestones have included the switch to smart card ticketing and the finalisation of a deal with Eneco and Vivens to power the Dutch rail network with wind energy from 2018.
Despite the improving picture in 2014, Engelhardt Robbe, chief financial officer for NS, was not positive about the outlook for 2015 due to the higher operating expenses from the renewed Hoofdrailnet operating concession.
