Dutch Railways pushing for help from state budget

Dutch Railways (NS) has requested for a financial injection to help it survive the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The company is predicting a loss of €4.7bn by 2025 due to the shrunken economy, the growing home office trend and distance learning and alternative forms of transportation including electric bicycles. Through shrinking, the railway company, which employs around 20,000 people, is aiming to save €1.4bn over the next five years. The aim is to do so without layoffs, but NS officials say this will only be possible if government support is provided.

Train service has been reduced since the beginning of the coronavirus epidemic, but should return to normal from June 1 as the economy is allowed to reopen. But Dutch Railways anticipates that passenger traffic will be down 60 percent from what it was before the crisis.