Dutch Rail (NS) booked net profit of €116m in 2009, less than half 2008’s earnings of €281m, the state-owned company said on Thursday.

Passenger numbers were also below expectations. The cabinet has told NS to increase passengers by 5% a year, but the growth last year was just 0.8%.
NS said it had been hit by the economic crisis. Passengers are spending less at stations and downgrading from first to second class tickets. The company’s property development arm has also been hit, director Bert Meerstadt told Nos tv.
The results were also pressured by a €106m loss booked on the high speed train link to Brussels which only came into use late last year.