Reference metadata describe statistical concepts and methodologies used for the collection and generation of data. They provide information on data quality and, since they are strongly content-oriented, assist users in interpreting the data. Reference metadata, unlike structural metadata, can be decoupled from the data.
Mandatory data collection at EU level is based on legal act, the Regulation EU 2018/643 and covers goods and passengers. Data is collected as following:
Annex I (annual data) – goods transport ,
Annex II (annual data) – passenger transport,
Annex III – (quarterly data) goods and passengers,
Annex IV and V (data every five years) regional statistics on goods and passengers and rail network
Annex VIII (annual data) goods and passengers transport for small undertakings.
The codes of regions used in the region-to-region statistics are indicated in Regulation (EC) 1059/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council.
3.3. Coverage - sector
Railway undertakings providing transport of passengers or goods.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
The main concepts used in rail domain are:
Rail passenger means any person, excluding members of the train crew, who makes a trip by rail. For accident statistics, passengers trying to embark/disembark onto/from a moving train are included.
Passenger-km means the unit of measure representing the transport of one passenger by rail over a distance of one kilometer. Only the distance on the national territory of the reporting country shall be taken into account.
Weight means the quantity of goods in tonnestones (1 000 kilograms). The weight to be taken into consideration includes, in addition to the weight of the goods transported, the weight of packaging and the tare weight of containers, swap bodies, pallets as well as road vehicles transported by rail in the course of combined transport operations. If the goods are transported using the services of more than one railway undertaking, when possible the weight of goods shall not be counted more than once.
Tonne-km means the unit of measure of goods transport which represents the transport of one tonne (1 000 kilograms) of goods by rail over a distance of one kilometer. Only the distance on the national territory of the reporting country shall be taken into account.
Train means one or more railway vehicles hauled by one or more locomotives or railcars, or one railcar travelling alone, running under a given number or specific designation from an initial fixed point to a terminal fixed point. A light engine, that is to say, a locomotive travelling on its own, is not considered to be a train.
Train-km means the unit of measure representing the movement of a train over one kilometre. The distance used is the distance actually run, if available, otherwise the standard network distance between the origin and destination shall be used. Only the distance on the national territory of the reporting country shall be taken into account.
3.5. Statistical unit
Statistical units for rail transport statistics are all railway stations.
3.6. Statistical population
Data on freight transport are collected from Infrastructure manager ProRail (including data from all the railway undertakings operating at national territory) and from a big railway undertaking. Data on traffic are collected from infrastructure manager ProRail.
Data on passengers is modeled with information from railway undertakings.
3.7. Reference area
Operational railway network on Dutch territory.
3.8. Coverage - Time
Data on passengers and goods are covered from 2004 onwards.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
The volume and performance of rail freight traffic are measured in tonnes (mass) and tonne-kilometres. Passenger transport by rail is measured in the number of passengers and in passenger-kilometres. Information on the number of train kilometres is also available. Traffic flows on the rail network are measured in number of trains - passenger, freight and others (optional).
The tables consist mostly of annual data. There are some tables providing quarterly and quinquennial (every five years) data.
According to the Rail regulation (EU) 2018/643 data is collected as following: Annual data,
Annex I – goods transport collected for a reference period of one year with a deadline for data transmission as 5 months after the reference periodreference period,
Annex II – passenger transport, yearly data with eight months deadline after the end of reference period,
Annex III – quarterly data for goods and passengers with a deadline of three months after the end of the reference period,
Annex IV and V data - every five years on regional statistics on goods and passengers and rail network with deadline of 12 respectively 18 months after the end of reference period, and
Annex VIII - goods and passengers transport for small undertakings with 5 respectively 8 months deadline after the end of reference period.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Until 2003, the data were provided to Eurostat on a voluntary basis; since 2003 data provision is based on an EP and Council framework legal act and on several implementing
Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics (recital 24 and Article 20(4)) of 11 March 2009 (OJ L 87, p. 164), stipulates the need to establish common principles and guidelines ensuring the confidentiality of data used for the production of European statistics and the access to those confidential data with due account for technical developments and the requirements of users in a democratic society.
Data confidentiality problems: According to the Dutch Legal base, data on an individual enterprise or data from which this information can be easily obtained cannot be published or otherwise disseminated. For this reason the detailed annual figures for the passengers are not being published.
8.1. Release calendar
One table with the mail results of the rail transport statistics is published quarterly, within one quarter after the reference quarter. The figures are preliminary uptill two years after publishing the annual results.
Two tables with detailed results of the rail transport statistics are published annualy, before the end of May the year after the reference year. The figures are preliminary uptill two years after publishing the results.
Main results of rail transport statistics are available free of charge to all users. For more detailed results the data user has to pay for accessing the data.
One table with the mail results of the rail transport statistics is published quarterly, within one quarter after the reference quarter. The figures are preliminary uptill two years after publishing the annual results.
Two tables with detailed results of the rail transport statistics are published annualy, before the end of May the year after the reference year. The figures are preliminary uptill two years after publishing the results.
One table with the mail results of the rail transport statistics is published quarterly, within one quarter after the reference quarter. The figures are preliminary uptill two years after publishing the annual results.
Two tables with detailed results of the rail transport statistics are published annualy, before the end of May the year after the reference year. The figures are preliminary uptill two years after publishing the results.
The results can be found in the Statline datawarehouse:
Quarterly data (Statistics > Verkeer en Vervoer > Vervoer personen en goederen > Vervoer over land > Spoorvervoer).
Annual data (Opendata CBS and Opendata CBS) (Statistics > Verkeer en Vervoer > Vervoer personen en goederen > Vervoer over land > Spoorvervoer).
Main results are available free of charge. For more detailed results the data user has to pay for accessing the data.
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
Not applicable.
10.5. Dissemination format - other
Open data access is available for the main results of rail transport statistics.
10.6. Documentation on methodology
Methodological notes are available in the online Statistics Explained articles on Rail transport statistics and in the Reference Manual on Rail Transport Statistics. The whole set of definitions of the terms used in the frame of the statistics on rail transport is available in the legal acts.
10.7. Quality management - documentation
A description of the methodology used for the rail transport statistics can be found on our website. This description is at the moment only available in Dutch.
11.1. Quality assurance
The system follows as far as possible the European Statistics Code of practice and Quality Assurance Framework of the European Statistical System, more precisely Principle 4: Commitment to Quality: Quality policy is defined and made available to the public. An organisational structure and tools are in place to deal with quality management (please provide more details if relevant). There are procedures in place to plan, monitor and improve the quality of the statistical processes. Procedures based on quality reporting are in place to internally monitor product quality. Results are analysed regularly and improving actions are undertaken, if needed (for example after obtaining annual summary results and mirror checks reports from Eurostat). There is a regular and thorough review of the key statistical outputs using also external experts where appropriate.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
Goods transported by rail:
Data quality can be assessed as normal. There is a set of validation rules and quality checks put in place, which detect various types of issues. In case of any issues detected, the data providers are contacted to provide explanations or/and revise the data accordingly. Checks for the consistency over times are prepared and revised as well and the results are compared with the data published by ProRial at their website.
Annually, Eurostat provides a data quality report with a summary of the main findings affecting quality as well as showing the solution adopted and the materiality of the existing differences. Mirror checks and checks for the consistency over times are prepared as well. Timeliness and punctuality are very good. Revisions are rare.
If there are any inconsistencies Statistics Netherlands provides an explanation which is included in the Country Specific Notes (CSNs) available at Eurostat’s metadata page (in Annex part).
Passengers transported by rail:
The figures regarding passengers are not being published, due to confidentiality issues.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
The key users of rail transport statistics are:
Ministery of Infrastructure and Water Management;
Universities and research institutions;
Users involved in the rail industry.
Data on passengers and goods transported by rail, the routes and amount of transported freight provides an important basis for decision-making of politics, society and economy in the context of the development and promotion of transport projects.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
No surveys on users satisfaction or data needs.
12.3. Completeness
The data collection on rail transport statistics follows the provisions of the Regulation 91/2003. All variables in all data sets are provided. The figures regarding passenger transport are not being publised, due to confidentiality issues.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
Not all microdata needed for Eurostat about the goods transported by rail is availbale in our two main sources. This is giving challenges for imputing this data. Data from the past and data from several other sources is being used to fill these gaps. Comparisions with published data by ProRail are made for the annual figures.
13.2. Sampling error
Not applicable for rail transport data collection.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Not applicable for rail transport data collection.
14.1. Timeliness
All the quarterly statistics required by the provisions of the Regulation 2018/643 are transmitted to Eurostat 3 months after the reference quarter. The annual data is transmitted to Eurostat 8 months afther the reference year.
14.2. Punctuality
All the statistics required by the provisions of the Regulation 2018/643 are available in time before the deadline for the data provisions set up in the legal act.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
Not applicable.
15.2. Comparability - over time
Freight:
As from 2003 the statistics on rail transport are comparable over time. Time series checks are regularly made to detect inconsistencies in the data.
Passengers:
Due to a method change, the data for 2024 is not comparable with the data from 2024 onwards.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
Comparisons with other transport statistics are done only partially and to a limited extent possible with regard to freight transport, since data are currently not available or are not collected at the same level of detail and also different methods and underlying objectives. Important developments within the other transport statistics are taken into account with approving the rail transport data (annual data).
15.4. Coherence - internal
The quality checks include intra-dataset checks, inter-dataset checks, time series checks and comparisons with aggregated data from ProRail and other sources. These quality checks detect data that could possibly be in error.
The response burden is mainly put on ProRail, but is reduced to a minimum. ProRail is sending the data automatically via a data interface and is only contacted if errors cannot be solved by the NSI.
17.1. Data revision - policy
The results are published quarterly, maximum one quarter after the reference quarter and are preliminary until the annual results are finalised (usually within two year after the reference period).
In case of any data change in the statistics, after the annual data is finalised, an explanation for the change is given in the table publised on the national website.
17.2. Data revision - practice
The policy described in 17.1 is implemented.
18.1. Source data
Freight:
Statistics Netherlands is using administrative data from Infrastructure manager ProRail (including data from all the railway undertakings operating at national territory) and data from one big railway undertaking. Next to these two datasources, other datasources online are used to gather more detailed data that is missing in the data we recieve.
Passengers:
Before 2024: The rail figures were based on ticket sales, however when a public transport chipcard (OV-chipcard) was introduced in the Netherlands, data on ticket sales was discontinued. Since there was no OV chipcard data available yet, the figures on passenger transport by rail have since been estimated based on the information that was available.
Since 2024: From 2024 onwards, Statistics Netherlands now has detailed data available for both Dutch carriers (Chipcard data) and foreign carriers arriving or departing in the Netherlands. Statistics Netherlands is receiving this data via the carriers themselves or via Translink. This is the company behind the OV-chipcard. A completely new method has been developed based on this data. This does mean that there will be a deviation in the trend between the years 2023 and 2024 and that the figures can no longer be compared with each other.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Freight:
Information needed for the rail transport statistics are collected on a montly basis and processed on quarterly basis.
Passengers:
Information needed for the rail transport statistics are collected on a quarterly basis and processed on quarterly basis.
18.3. Data collection
Freight and passengers:
The data transmission is possible via a fttp-port or via ADAC.
18.4. Data validation
Freight:
Validation of category container/no container.
Consistency over time.
Inputing unknown locations and goods.
Comparison of the quarterly figures with overviews from ProRail and information found online.
Actions taken when errors are detected:
Investigation and correction of erroneous data.
Request for new data from data suppliers if necessary.
Passengers:
Consistency over time.
Comparison with other sources.
Actions taken when errors are detected: request for new data from data suppliers if necessary.
18.5. Data compilation
Freight and Passengers:
After various recodings, inputing missing information and plausibility checks, the data received from the data suppliers are compiled into quarterly data following the structure of the data sets which are preset by the regulation.
18.6. Adjustment
Not applicable for rail transport data collection.
No comments.
Mandatory data collection at EU level is based on legal act, the Regulation EU 2018/643 and covers goods and passengers. Data is collected as following:
Annex I (annual data) – goods transport ,
Annex II (annual data) – passenger transport,
Annex III – (quarterly data) goods and passengers,
Annex IV and V (data every five years) regional statistics on goods and passengers and rail network
Annex VIII (annual data) goods and passengers transport for small undertakings.
16 October 2025
The main concepts used in rail domain are:
Rail passenger means any person, excluding members of the train crew, who makes a trip by rail. For accident statistics, passengers trying to embark/disembark onto/from a moving train are included.
Passenger-km means the unit of measure representing the transport of one passenger by rail over a distance of one kilometer. Only the distance on the national territory of the reporting country shall be taken into account.
Weight means the quantity of goods in tonnestones (1 000 kilograms). The weight to be taken into consideration includes, in addition to the weight of the goods transported, the weight of packaging and the tare weight of containers, swap bodies, pallets as well as road vehicles transported by rail in the course of combined transport operations. If the goods are transported using the services of more than one railway undertaking, when possible the weight of goods shall not be counted more than once.
Tonne-km means the unit of measure of goods transport which represents the transport of one tonne (1 000 kilograms) of goods by rail over a distance of one kilometer. Only the distance on the national territory of the reporting country shall be taken into account.
Train means one or more railway vehicles hauled by one or more locomotives or railcars, or one railcar travelling alone, running under a given number or specific designation from an initial fixed point to a terminal fixed point. A light engine, that is to say, a locomotive travelling on its own, is not considered to be a train.
Train-km means the unit of measure representing the movement of a train over one kilometre. The distance used is the distance actually run, if available, otherwise the standard network distance between the origin and destination shall be used. Only the distance on the national territory of the reporting country shall be taken into account.
Statistical units for rail transport statistics are all railway stations.
Data on freight transport are collected from Infrastructure manager ProRail (including data from all the railway undertakings operating at national territory) and from a big railway undertaking. Data on traffic are collected from infrastructure manager ProRail.
Data on passengers is modeled with information from railway undertakings.
Operational railway network on Dutch territory.
The tables consist mostly of annual data. There are some tables providing quarterly and quinquennial (every five years) data.
According to the Rail regulation (EU) 2018/643 data is collected as following: Annual data,
Annex I – goods transport collected for a reference period of one year with a deadline for data transmission as 5 months after the reference periodreference period,
Annex II – passenger transport, yearly data with eight months deadline after the end of reference period,
Annex III – quarterly data for goods and passengers with a deadline of three months after the end of the reference period,
Annex IV and V data - every five years on regional statistics on goods and passengers and rail network with deadline of 12 respectively 18 months after the end of reference period, and
Annex VIII - goods and passengers transport for small undertakings with 5 respectively 8 months deadline after the end of reference period.
Not all microdata needed for Eurostat about the goods transported by rail is availbale in our two main sources. This is giving challenges for imputing this data. Data from the past and data from several other sources is being used to fill these gaps. Comparisions with published data by ProRail are made for the annual figures.
The volume and performance of rail freight traffic are measured in tonnes (mass) and tonne-kilometres. Passenger transport by rail is measured in the number of passengers and in passenger-kilometres. Information on the number of train kilometres is also available. Traffic flows on the rail network are measured in number of trains - passenger, freight and others (optional).
Freight and Passengers:
After various recodings, inputing missing information and plausibility checks, the data received from the data suppliers are compiled into quarterly data following the structure of the data sets which are preset by the regulation.
Freight:
Statistics Netherlands is using administrative data from Infrastructure manager ProRail (including data from all the railway undertakings operating at national territory) and data from one big railway undertaking. Next to these two datasources, other datasources online are used to gather more detailed data that is missing in the data we recieve.
Passengers:
Before 2024: The rail figures were based on ticket sales, however when a public transport chipcard (OV-chipcard) was introduced in the Netherlands, data on ticket sales was discontinued. Since there was no OV chipcard data available yet, the figures on passenger transport by rail have since been estimated based on the information that was available.
Since 2024: From 2024 onwards, Statistics Netherlands now has detailed data available for both Dutch carriers (Chipcard data) and foreign carriers arriving or departing in the Netherlands. Statistics Netherlands is receiving this data via the carriers themselves or via Translink. This is the company behind the OV-chipcard. A completely new method has been developed based on this data. This does mean that there will be a deviation in the trend between the years 2023 and 2024 and that the figures can no longer be compared with each other.
One table with the mail results of the rail transport statistics is published quarterly, within one quarter after the reference quarter. The figures are preliminary uptill two years after publishing the annual results.
Two tables with detailed results of the rail transport statistics are published annualy, before the end of May the year after the reference year. The figures are preliminary uptill two years after publishing the results.
All the quarterly statistics required by the provisions of the Regulation 2018/643 are transmitted to Eurostat 3 months after the reference quarter. The annual data is transmitted to Eurostat 8 months afther the reference year.
Not applicable.
Freight:
As from 2003 the statistics on rail transport are comparable over time. Time series checks are regularly made to detect inconsistencies in the data.
Passengers:
Due to a method change, the data for 2024 is not comparable with the data from 2024 onwards.
