Rail transport in the Netherlands

The Netherlands
Syntus LINT on a bridge near Westervoort.
Operation
National railway	Nederlandse Spoorwegen
Infrastructure company	Railinfratrust
Major operators	NS Hispeed Arriva Connexxion Syntus Veolia
Statistics
Ridership	438 million per year
Passenger km	15.5 billion per year
Freight	36.5 million ton per year
System length
Total	2,886 kilometres (1,793 mi)
Double track	1,982 kilometres (1,232 mi)
Electrified	2,159 kilometres (1,342 mi)
Freight only	158.5 km
High-speed	125 km
Gauge
Main	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
High-speed	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Electrification
1.5 kV DC	Main network
25 kV AC	HSL-Zuid, Betuweroute
Features
No. tunnels	13
No. bridges	4500 (of which 76 are movable)
No. stations	389
Map (Almelo - Hengelo should be blue, Hengelo - Oldenzaal should be blue and yellow)

Rail transport in the Netherlands utilises a 2809 km long network maintained by ProRail and operated by a number of different operators. The entire network is standard gauge.

The Netherlands is a member of the International Union of Railways (UIC). The UIC Country Code for the Netherlands is 84.

Operators

Public transport authorities in the Netherlands issue concessions for collections of lines.^[1]

• Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS; Dutch Railways) - core internal passenger rail network (Hoofdrailnet), including parts with a night service (see below), and also some secondary lines
• Arriva Netherlands - the northern secondary lines, and a central line
• Syntus - eastern secondary lines
• Veolia Transport - southern secondary lines
• Connexxion - two secondary lines
• NS Hispeed - main international trains

A few Dutch railway stations are served, even for journeys within the country, by foreign railway companies under the responsibility of NS; these companies are:

• DB Regio, including DB Regionalbahn Westfalen and DB Euregiobahn
• Prignitzer Eisenbahn (part of Arriva Germany)

There is partly a common tariff system. Increasingly operators apply separate tariffs, see below.

Most trains have 1st and 2nd class; some local trains belonging to Syntus only have 2nd class.

The largest cargo carrier in the Netherlands is DB Schenker, others are ACTS, Crossrail, ERS Railways, Häfen und Güterverkehr Köln, Rail4chem and Veolia Cargo.

The whole network itself is maintained and organised by the government agency ProRail, it is also responsible for allocating slots to the different companies.

History

Main article: History of rail transport in the Netherlands

The first Dutch railway was built and opened in 1839, on a short stretch between Amsterdam and Haarlem, and was quickly expanded to The Hague and Rotterdam. It was originally built to a broad gauge of 1,945 mm (6 ft 4 ²³⁄₄₀ in), but was converted to 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) (standard gauge) in 1866.^[2] Further expansion happened in the 19th century to connect the rest of the country. During the 20th century most of the main lines were electrified, starting in 1908 with the Hofpleinlijn.

Network

Main article: Train routes in the Netherlands

The network is heavily focused on passenger rail services and connects virtually all major cities, although there are still a few cities without a train connection, including Drachten, Amstelveen, Oosterhout, and Katwijk.

Most freight routes run east-west, connecting the Port of Rotterdam and Koninklijke Hoogovens in IJmuiden with Germany. Freight trains usually share the tracks with passenger trains; the only exception is the new Betuweroute, which opened in 2006 as the first freight-only route.

The network is well developed and dense. Over the last decades, there has been only little expansion of the network; instead, most attention is focused on upgrading the network in terms of efficiency and capacity. As of 2008, the issue of speed is also getting more attention, as there are plans to increase maximum speeds to 160 km/h on some sections.

Some important new lines have been built in recent years, however. These include the HSL-Zuid high speed line and the Betuweroute. One major line is currently under construction, the Hanzelijn, connecting the province of Flevoland with the railway node Zwolle.

Most of the network is electrified at 1.5 kV DC, which limits interoperability with neighbouring countries, although Belgian trains (built for 3 kV DC) can run on the Dutch network at reduced power. Both the HSL-Zuid and the Betuweroute have been electrified at 25 kV AC, and it is planned to convert old lines to this voltage in the future.

Speed is generally limited to 130–140 km/h, but on most secondary lines the maximum speed is lower. On the new HSL-Zuid line, the maximum speed is much higher at 300 km/h. Technically, more recent lines have been constructed to allow for higher speeds. An overview of maximum speeds on all lines is available in the Train routes in the Netherlands article.

Trains are frequent, with one or two trains per hour on lesser lines, two to four trains per hour on most lines in the country and up to 8 or 10 trains an hour between the big cities. Trains are divided into two categories: stoptreinen (local trains, which call at all stations; these are called Sprinters on some lines) and intercities, which provide fast connections between the bigger cities. An intermediate category of sneltreinen (fast trains) is being phased out, starting in 2007, but is still used on some lines. The railways of the Netherlands are all 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) (standard gauge),^[2] and they have a total length of 2809 route-kilometers or 6505 track-kilometers. 2061 kilometers are electrified (2001) at 1500 volt DC.^[3] Only 931 km is single track. The country counts 3,004 level crossings, of which 2,144 are protected.

ProRail takes care of maintenance and extensions of the national railway network infrastructure (but excluding metros and trams, for which see below), allocating rail capacity, and traffic control. The rail capacity supplied by ProRail is used by five public transport operators (see below) as well as cargo operators: DB Schenker, ERS, ACTS, Rail4Chem. Aside from these, there are a few tiny operators, amongst whom for example Herik Rail, with seven carriages, where trains can be chartered for parties, meetings, etc.^[4]

Recent and new tracks

The "Utrechtboog" each track over a separate viaduct, now completed. Some catenary poles are already mounted. Photo 10 July 2005

• Betuweroute, A freight line from Rotterdam to Germany.
• Hemboog between Schiphol/Amsterdam-Lelylaan and Zaandam, bypassing the crossing at Amsterdam Sloterdijk.^[5] It provides a direct connection between Schiphol and Zaandam/Hoorn. Technically it also allows for a direct train service from Schiphol to Alkmaar, but such a service is not provided yet.
• Gooiboog between Hilversum/Naarden-Bussum and Almere Muziekwijk.^[6]
• Utrechtboog between Schiphol/Amsterdam-Rai and Bijlmer/Utrecht, bypassing the crossing at Duivendrecht.^[6][7]
• The HSL-Zuid (see below)

Under construction

• The Hanzelijn, a planned railway line Lelystad-Dronten-Kampen-Zwolle.
• The re-building of the railway between Maastricht and Lanaken (B). Dutch part scheduled to be complete in 2009.

Two stations are located at a bilevel crossing of railway lines: Amsterdam Sloterdijk and Duivendrecht.

Non-electrified lines

(with timetable number)

• Groningen-Delfzijl 84
• Groningen-Roodeschool 83
• Groningen-Nieuweschans Grens 85
• Leeuwarden-Groningen 80
• Leeuwarden-Harlingen 81
• Leeuwarden-Stavoren 82
• Zwolle-Kampen 63
• Zwolle-Wierden 65
• Almelo-Marienberg 72
• Zutphen-Hengelo 73
• Enschede-Glanerbrug Grens 522
• Zutphen-Apeldoorn 67
• Zutphen-Winterswijk 71
• Arnhem-Winterswijk 70
• Arnhem-Tiel 68
• Nijmegen-Roermond 29
• Landgraaf-Landgraaf Grens 525

Railway links with adjacent countries

The Dutch network is connected at several places to Belgium^[8] and Germany.^[9] Of these, Terneuzen is linked to Belgium (freight-only), but not to the rest of the Dutch network. Six cross-border links are electrified. Due to the difference in voltage, trains must change monovoltage locomotives at Bad Bentheim, Emmerich or Venlo; monovoltage Belgian 3 kV trains reach Roosendaal and Maastricht with reduced power. The HSL Zuid has no voltage change at the border itself. Alternatively, multi-system or diesel traction are used. Several border crossings are disused or freight-only.

• Same gauge:
  • Belgium — voltage change 1.5 kV DC/3 kV DC
    • HSL-Zuid — same voltage
  • Germany — voltage change 1.5 kV DC/15 kV AC

International trains

• InterCity Amsterdam C - Schiphol Airport - The Hague HS - Rotterdam C - Dordrecht - Roosendaal - Antwerp C - Mechelen - Brussels Noord - Brussels C - Brussels Midi. Also known as the Benelux train, see also Train number series (series 9200). This service will be replaced in the near future by a high-speed service using the HSL-Zuid.
  • The train has a Belgian multi-system locomotive which is designed for Belgian 3000 volt DC, but can also run under the Dutch 1500 volt DC system (at reduced performance).
• Thalys^[10]: Amsterdam C - Schiphol Airport - Rotterdam C - Antwerp C - Brussels Midi -Paris Nord; twice a week also to Marne-La-Vallée-Chessy (Disneyland Resort Paris)
  • The train can use 1500 volt DC (France, Netherlands), 3000 volt DC (Belgium) and 25000 volt AC 50 Hz (France and high-speed lines).
  • High-speed between Rotterdam and Antwerp (HSL-Zuid) and between Brussels and Paris.
• Schiphol - Berlin Hbf - Szczecin Główny
• ICE^[11] from Amsterdam to Frankfurt Hbf, Germany and Basel SBB, Switzerland
• CityNightLine from Amsterdam to Munich, Germany and Vienna Westbf, Austria
• InterCity Maastricht- Liège-Guillemins - Brussels Midi
• There are several regional cross-border connections.^[12]

See also Rail transport by country, Europe.

Night service

There is a Night Network (Nachtnet) as follows.

On five nights a week it is just a single U-shaped line with an hourly service connecting Rotterdam Central, Delft, The Hague Central, Leiden Central, Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam Central, Utrecht Central (i.e., most of the large cities in the Randstad as well as the main airport). Due to the U-shape, journey time from the first five stations to Utrecht is longer than during the day.

In the weekend the night service is extended to Dordrecht and four cities in the Province of North Brabant.

Series	Route	Material	Frequency
1400/21400	(Eindhoven - Tilburg - Breda - Dordrecht -) Rotterdam Centraal - Delft - Den Haag HS - Leiden Centraal - Schiphol - Amsterdam Centraal - Utrecht Centraal (- 's-Hertogenbosch - Eindhoven)	VIRM	1x per hour - operates between Eindhoven and Rotterdam/Utrecht Friday, Saturday nights only
21420	's-Hertogenbosch - Tilburg		1x per hour, Friday, Saturday nights only

"Friday night" means the night between Friday and Saturday, etc.

Fares and tickets

There is partly a common tariff system. Increasingly operators apply separate tariffs, partly related to the gradually introduced OV-chipkaart, which combines ticket integration (also with other public transport) with price differentiation. Since 1 August 2011 there is even a whole series of new passes, just for the largest operator, NS, see Nederlandse Spoorwegen#Fares and tickets. However, these are expected to become valid in other trains too from January 2012.

Even then these developments require traveller awareness of the various companies, and may increase the fare for journeys requiring a change from one to another.

Paper railway tickets are planned to be abolished at the end of 2012.

Meanwhile, paper tickets are available from the ticket machines; at the counter (if available) a supplement of € 0.50 per ticket (with a maximum of €1 per occasion) has to be paid (from June 2004), except by people over 60 years old.

For simple tickets for one journey with only one operator, the price of a paper ticket from the ticket machine is the same as the price with the chipkaart. For a journey involving multiple operators a paper ticket is usually cheaper. Some special discounts are available with the chipkaart only, some others with paper tickets only.

Passengers not carrying a valid ticket (paper or electronic) are fined €35 plus the fare, unless the ticket machines were all out of order or some other exemption applies. The fine has to be paid at once. If the passenger is able to identify itself, in which case one receive a collection notice in the mail. For foreigners arriving at Amsterdam Airport (which has its own train station underneath) it is good to know that buying a ticket on the train is very expensive because then they actually have to pay a fine.

It is also possible to buy tickets online on the Dutch Railways website, but payment can only be made via a Dutch Bank account so this system is really only applicable to Dutch residents.

See also Nederlandse Spoorwegen#Fares and tickets.

Railways in Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, Saba and Sint Maarten

The Caribbean parts of the Kingdom of the Netherlands have no railways. There were, historically, two industrial narrow-gauge railways in Aruba; but they no longer exist.^[13]

See also

• Locomotives of Nederlandse Spoorwegen
• Rail transport by country
• Railway stations in the Netherlands
• Train routes in the Netherlands
• Trains in the Netherlands
• Transport in the Netherlands

References

1. ^ Concessions; see also nl:Concessies in het Nederlandse openbaar vervoer#Overzicht concessies.
2. ^ ^{a b} From 1839 until 1864 it was 1,945 mm (6 ft 4 ²³⁄₄₀ in), see 1,945 mm (6 ft 4²³⁄₄₀ in) and Parovoz, it was changed because Germany and Belgium had 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in), see komlos spatial1
3. ^ Elektrificatie Nederland
4. ^ A complete list of licensed operators can be found at europa.eu
5. ^ sporenplan w
6. ^ ^{a b} sporenplan o
7. ^ (in Dutch) utrechtboog
8. ^ http://www.bueker.net/trainspotting/lines_belgium-netherlands.php
9. ^ http://www.bueker.net/trainspotting/lines_netherlands-germany.php
10. ^ see Mercurio 4300
11. ^ see Mercurio 4650
12. ^ For an overview of both passenger and freight traffic, see Belgium-Netherlands and Netherlands-Germany.
13. ^ "Auba and Aruban History.". http://www.refugeesunleashed.net/about4708.html. Retrieved 2010-12-19. 

External links

• ProRail railway map
• http://www.sporenplan.nl/html_nl/sporenplan/ns/ns_normaal/start.html - Schematic maps of all tracks, switches and platforms:
• http://kubus.mailspool.nl/spoorkaart Live map of locations of moving passenger trains
• http://www.prorail.nl/Vervoerders/Infrastructuur/Documents/R-Overzicht%20Functionaliteitswijzigingen%20en%20Indienststellings-data%20Infraprojecten%20tot%20en%20met%202017.pdf - planning of changes in infrastructure