Dutch railway company NS may have to find a further €119m to pay for the cancellation of the high-speed Fyra train.

The high-speed service between Amsterdam and Brussels was suspended last January following a string of problems. In May, the NS cancelled its order with train manufacturers AnsaldoBreda, having already spent €340m on the project.

Now the Dutch state is questioning the loss of €119m in dividends from the service run by the state-owned railway company.

Finance minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem has written to parliament saying he is looking for a solution and is considering requesting the missing dividends from the NS, which would then need to make considerable savings through an efficiency drive.

‘It is not impossible the money will have to come from the NS,’ he told the Nos, ‘but it will be a tough job for them to find so much.’

The NS would not comment until Dijsselbloem firms up his intention.