Dutch Railways (NS) has been given the green light to run a two-year pilot allowing a limited group of its Veiligheid & Service (V&S) enforcement officers to carry a short baton. The trial aims to improve staff and passenger safety amid rising aggression on and around trains. It will start within weeks, run for 24 months, and be independently evaluated before any permanent decision is made.
What will change during the pilot
Up to 75 NS V&S officers will be equipped with a short baton after additional training and certification. According to NS and media reports, the baton is intended only as a last resort in cases of serious violence or when officers or bystanders face immediate danger. The standard approach remains de-escalation, verbal instructions, and teamwork, backed by bodycams and radio coordination with police. NS will collect incident data and report regularly to the authorities throughout the pilot.
The pilot does not give officers broader policing powers; V&S remain special investigating officers (boa’s) focused on public order and travel rule enforcement in the rail domain, working closely with police. Locations and duty patterns will be chosen to cover higher-risk times and places (for example, busy interchanges and late-evening services).
Why NS asked for this
NS has pushed for extra tools for years, pointing to increasing incidents involving threats and violence against staff. Earlier national figures showed a rise in aggression against public-transport workers, with unions and operators calling for better protection and faster police backup on platforms and trains. The baton pilot is meant to test whether a limited, trained group can reduce harm and stabilise dangerous situations more quickly until police arrive.
Photo Credits: Alp Ancel/Unsplash
Oversight, training, and safeguards
The government approval includes conditions:
Targeted training on proportional force, legal thresholds, and scenario-based de-escalation.
Strict reporting: every baton deployment must be logged and reviewed; quarterly summaries go to the justice ministry.
Independent evaluation after two years, weighing safety outcomes, use-of-force patterns, and alternatives.
NS says it will select experienced officers for the pilot and continue to prioritize dialogue and prevention (team patrols, visible presence, bodycams). The baton is framed as a fallback, comparable to equipment already carried by many municipal boa’s in city centres.
Reactions and debate
Supporters argue the move is pragmatic: incidents can escalate fast in confined spaces, and officers need a legal intermediate tool between going hands-on and waiting for police. Critics worry about mission creep and the risk that more equipment could escalate confrontations or blur lines with regular police. Those concerns are one reason the trial is small-scale and time-limited, with clear evaluation criteria.
What passengers should expect
For travelers, nothing changes in day-to-day travel. You may see some V&S officers carrying a short baton during the trial. Their role remains the same: check tickets, handle disturbances, and keep stations and trains safe: preferably through conversation and de-escalation. Serious crimes or violent incidents will still be handled by the police, who remain the primary responder for arrests and criminal investigations.
