NETHERLANDS Railways (NS) says it is satisfied with its results and performance in the first half of 2018, with more trains operating and passenger numbers continuing to increase. Financial results are also improving, but NS is closely following the developments of Brexit and the potential effects it could have on its business in Britain through its Abellio subsidiary.

THE first modernised Netherlands Railways (NS) Sprinter Light Train (SLT) EMU, and the first of the fleet to be equipped with a toilet, returned to service on August 9.

PUNCTUALITY on the Dutch network, excluding high-speed, improved to 92.1% in the first quarter of 2018, an all-time record for the network.

THE Netherlands government has decided to reconstruct and expand Amsterdam Central and Amsterdam South stations in order to improve accessibility to the Dutch capital and increase the capacity of the city’s rail network.

AUSTRIAN Federal Railways (ÖBB) and Netherlands Railways (NS) are developing plans to reintroduce sleeper trains to Amsterdam, which was severed from the European night train network by the contraction and eventual abandonment of German Rail's (DB) City Night Line services.

NETHERLANDS Railways (NS) has agreed with French leasing company Akiem to sell and lease back 45 class 186 Traxx MS2 four-voltage locomotives.

The opening of the Amsterdam - Rotterdam - Antwerp HSL South high-speed line in 2009 failed to live up to expectations with the collapse of the Amsterdam - Brussels Fyra high-speed service in 2012, leaving Thalys as the sole operator. However, with the recent introduction of new services, the line is busy and, as Quintus Vosman reports, now requires investment to improve reliability.

NETHERLANDS Railways (NS) has confirmed it is planning to boost seating capacity on domestic services on HSL South in addition to the previously-announced increase in frequencies to cope with a surge in passenger numbers.

NETHERLANDS Railways (NS) subsidiary NS International has confirmed it is planning to lease 12 multi-system Siemens Vectron locomotives for Amsterdam Central - Berlin East services.

As the railway seeks to harness the benefits of digitalisation and the Internet of Things, the links between information technology and operational technology become ever-more intertwined. However, these trends are completely redefining the railway security environment as systems become vulnerable to new types of threats. Keith Barrow assesses how the industry is responding to the cybersecurity challenge.