NS promising cleaner trains, better on-time performance in 2016

Train passengers will have fewer problems with delayed and cancelled trains and can expect cleaner surroundings next year, NS promised to State Secretary Sharon Dijksma of Infrastructure and Environment. "NS promised me they will make an all-tricks-up-their-sleeves effort to improve performance next year", the State Secretary told the Tweede Kamer, lower house of parliament, during a debate about the railway, NOS reports. Travelers often had to deal with delays and cancelled trains this year. Some of these were caused by uncontrollable events like the weather, but some can also be attributed to NS taking outdated trains out of circulation without having new ones ready to replace them, according to the broadcaster. This resulted in overcrowded trains and NS cancelling some services. Dijksma told the Kamer that she will keep NS to its promise of improvement in 2016. But warns that more delays may be inevitable due to bad weather or other causes. She pointed out that this is not only a Dutch problem, saying that during a working visit to Britain she was asked "Do you also have problems with leaves on the tracks?"