The European Commission has closed a preliminary antitrust investigation into the Dutch state-owned rail operator Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) after the company adopted a new policy for selling trains it no longer uses.
NS is the largest passenger transport company in the Netherlands and runs domestic services as well as international rail routes from the Netherlands to Belgium, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France and the UK, the Commission noted in its statement on Thursday.
Its probe looked at how NS handles passenger rolling stock — the trains and carriages used for rail services — when it reaches the end of its useful life, including whether to keep vehicles in reserve, sell them or dismantle them.
It was concerned that NS might be restricting competing rail operators from acquiring trains leaving NS’s passenger operations.
NS published its new policy for phased-out passenger rolling stock on 12 November 2026 following discussions with the Commission.
Under the policy, NS will offer for sale rolling stock it no longer plans to use through an open, transparent and non-discriminatory process.
What the Commission said next
After assessing the evidence gathered, the Commission concluded the new policy addressed its competition concerns.
The closure of the preliminary probe does not amount to a finding that the conduct under scrutiny complied with EU competition rules.
The Commission stated that it would continue monitoring business practices across sectors, including the second-hand passenger vehicle market.
It noted that buying new rolling stock can be expensive and take a long time to deliver, and that second-hand trains can offer a faster option for smaller operators and new entrants if established operators are willing to sell vehicles they no longer use.
