Nederlandse Spoorwegen
Encyclopedia
Nederlandse Spoorwegen or NS, is the principal passenger railway operator in the Netherlands.
Its trains operate over the tracks of the Dutch national railinfrastructure, operated by ProRail
, which was split off from NS in 2003. Freight services, formerly operated by NS Cargo are now part of the DB Schenker
group since a merger in 2000.
NS handles 1.1 million passengers every day, with 4,800 scheduled trains.
(HSM) and the Maatschappij tot Exploitatie van Staatsspoorwegen
(SS), formally merged. These two companies, however, had been intensively cooperating as early as 1917. There were both economic and ideological reasons for the cooperation.
Due to the First World War, the economic situation had declined in the Netherlands, and the railwaycompanies started to lose money. The railway companies were considered of great importance and thus letting them slip into bankruptcy was not an option. The companies thus started an intensive cooperation in which their operational activities were completely integrated, even though the companies themselves remained independent entities. To financially support the companies, shares were bought by the Dutch government. In 1938 the government merged the HSM and SS into the current company, the Nederlandse Spoorwegen. The government bought the remaining shares, but never nationalized
the company. Therefore NS remained (and still is) a private company with the Dutch government as sole shareholder.
, after it had declined to participate in one a year earlier.
The NS played a pivotal role in the reconstruction of the country. There was little alternative transport in the country besides the train, while there was a huge demand for logistical services
which the NS could provide.
While the 1950s were generally a good time for the company, it started to decline in the 60s, like most other railways around the world. Not only did the NS suffer from the competition of the car and other modes of transport, it also suffered from a loss of income when natural gas
started to replace coal
as the main fuel in powerplants and homes after a gas field was found near Slochteren
. The NS had been involved in the transport of coal
from the mines in Limburg
to the remainder of the country.
The NS responded with an aggressive strategy named Spoorslag '70. This strategy meant, among other things, that the NS substantially increased the number of trains per hour and also introduced the Intercity services. However, it was quite clear that this would never return the company to profitability. Nevertheless the company was declared to be of national importance, meaning that it would receive large amounts of subsidies every year.
of the NS. (Although technically, this is not the case, but instead refers here to withdrawal of the subsidies.) The idea was that not only rail transport was economically viable, but that there could be competition as well.
There were two external circumstances which allowed for this to happen. Firstly, the European Union
passed Directive 91/440
, which prescribed, among other things, the (formal) separation of the national railways into two separate companies, one which deals with the infrastructure, and the other which deals with the transport activities. Secondly, the old CEO of the NS, Leo Ploeger, retired, which allowed the government to name a new CEO which would execute the government's plans. The new CEO was Rob den Besten.
The plans entailed that the government would remain responsible for the rail infrastructure, while the NS would provide the (passenger) transport on a commercial basis. Where the services would prove to be economically inviable the government would subsidise that route. The division which was responsible for the infrastructure would later be turned into NS Railinfratrust
, later known as ProRail.
To facilitate the government plans for the commercial operation of the NS, den Besten planned to split the NS into many smaller independent divisions. The idea was that these smaller divisions would be better able to respond to the market. The plans, however, received massive opposition from the unions, which meant that the only divisions created were NS Reizigers, and locomotive maintenance company NedTrain
. There were also other internal changes in the company. The routemanagers got de facto
control over the operation, but they were dependent of a different organ in the company.
The freight sector NS Cargo became part of the Deutsche Bahn
after its merger with Railion
in 2000, now known as DB-Schenker rail.
These reforms were never much of a success and left the company in an uncontrollable state. Result was that the company started to decline rapidly, and that the employees started many unorganised strikes. Following this, the complete board of directors felt it necessary to resign in late 2001.
In 2002 Karel Noordzij was named as new CEO of the NS with the mission to restore the confidence in the company. In essence, he did this by reversing most the reforms of the late 90s and restoring the company to the old state. Meanwhile, the government had changed its opinion of the railways, it no longer considered competition on (passenger) transport a viable goal. Thus, the government started to commission railway operators to run routes on the network. The NS was granted (by the national government) the concession
to run on the main lines, whereas other companies received a number of the concessions on the secondary lines. The goal is to give individual concessions for the individual lines, but (at least) until 2015 the NS holds the concessions for main lines.
The NS covers most of the country, with almost all cities connected, mostly with a service frequency of two trains an hour or more (and at least four trains per hour between all of the largest 5 cities: Amsterdam
, Rotterdam
, The Hague
, Utrecht
and Eindhoven as well as some larger cities: Amersfoort
, Arnhem
, 's-Hertogenbosch, Dordrecht
and Leiden).
From December 2008 train frequencies were increased on following services: Arnhem-Nijmegen (8 trains per hour) and Den Haag - Rotterdam (12 trains per hour), Amsterdam Centraal-Hoofddorp (16 trains per hour). A night train service was added between Utrecht, Gouda and Rotterdam.
"Train routes in the Netherlands
" shows all the routes of the NS and private companies.
Trains usually run between 6:00 am and midnight, although there is also a night line which connects major cities in the Randstad
throughout the night, and in weekends also some major cities in Brabant
.
In addition to its domestic services, NS is also a partner (along with Stena Line
and National Express
) in the Dutchflyer
service. NS has also entered into a partnership with KLM to operate services on the new HSL-Zuid
under the name NS Hispeed
.
where the HSL-Zuid
branches off, and a similar overlap around Rotterdam. In principle the overlaps do not constitute competition on the same lines.
The concession was free of charge until 2009, and costs an increasing amount since then, up to €30 million for the year 2014.
The concession distinguishes main stations and other stations. Except on New Year's Eve
, the main stations have to be served twice an hour per direction from 6:00-24:00, and the other stations once an hour. Exceptions are possible.
The next concession period is 2015-2025. Therefore, before 2015 it has to be decided whether NS will keep the concession, and under what terms. Requirements will include:
Currently trains on the hoofdrailnet without a toilet include:
There is a decreasing number of trains of intermediate type called 'Sneltrein'. Most of the remaining ones will become Intercity trains with the completion of the HSL Zuid
. On 10 December 2006 the NS introduced a complete timetable overhaul which has more frequent Intercity trains serving an expanded Intercity network, and smaller branch lines and stations being served by Stoptreinen feeder services. This is all part of the NS modernisation and expansion program.
and Connexxion
in the east, Veolia on the 'Maaslijn' and 'Miljoenenlijn' in the south east, Arriva
in the north of the country and on the 'Merwede-Lingelijn
' (from Dordrecht to Geldermalsen).
NS is encouraging people who buy traditional domestic tickets, to do that at ticket machines. They are still available at counters (planned to be developed into service centres) at larger stations for a supplement of €0.50 per ticket since June 2004.
The disadvantage of this is for foreign users, as none of the machines accept banknotes, while most also do not accept credit cards or non-Dutch debit cards. However the current web site and ticket machine web demonstration shows that credit cards are accepted.
It is also possible to buy e-tickets online on the Dutch Railways website.
During the annual Boekenweek (Bookweek), it is possible to travel for free on Sunday upon showing the Boekenweekgeschenk (Bookweekgift).
Increasingly, operators apply separate tariffs, partly related to the gradually introduced OV-chipkaart
, which combines card integration with price differentiation. Since 1 August 2011 there is even a whole series of new passes, just for NS. 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 increases the fare for journeys requiring a change from one to another.
From December 2009, after acquiring the OV-chipkaart no regular NS ticket has to be bought anymore. Even for recharging the electronic money
on the card, one can order this to be done automatically.
Travelling with the OV-chipkaart one has to register starting a journey (check in) and ending it (check out), and must always travel away from the point of one's latest check-in. Thus in the case of a voluntary detour, one has to check out and check in to register starting a new journey.
There is an Off-Peak Discount Pass (in Dutch: Dal Voordeel abonnement) for € 50 / year, allowing a 40% discount on journeys starting in off-peak hours. In the case of a group of up to four people, all get the discount even if only one has a pass.
People of 60 years or older can buy a supplement for €14 for free travel during off-peak hours on 7 days of choice (with some limitations) during the year. It is not possible to buy multiple supplements for the same year.
There is also an Off-Peak Free Pass (in Dutch: Dal Vrij abonnement) for € 1140 / year, allowing free journeys which each start in the off-peak hours (compare the OV-Jaarabonnement).
The logo usually appears in blue on a dark yellow or white background. Since the introduction of the current corporate logo all NS trains have the same distinct dark yellow or white colour. The logo, which replaced a design which had been used since 1946, can be found in a great number of places on trains and railway stations in the Netherlands. The logo is a widened letter 'N', and a sideways (reversed) 'S'-shape. The two arrows in the logo represent the directions of the movement made by the train, the two lines in the middle represent the track.
The logo always plays a significant part in the NS' signage, promotions, advertising and graphic design.
In dealing with the general public, these distinctions are not made and the terms Nederlandse Spoorwegen and NS are used.
NS has contracts with Connexxion
and BBA, now Veolia Transport for the provision of bus
services to replace train services in the case of planned and unplanned cancellations.
On the 23rd of July, NS concluded the sale of the construction company Strukton to Oranjewoud. This concludes the history of planning, designing and executing track development done by the NS.
Since 1 January 2004, tobacco smoking
is prohibited on domestic trains, station halls and covered parts of platforms. The smoking of cannabis
was already prohibited, though it happens occasionally and is not as severely punished as in some other countries (that is, it is punished the same as tobacco smoking). Smoking is allowed near smoking-zones (Rookzones), posts with an ash-tray built in, scattered around stations.
Since June 2003, the sale of coffee
, soft drink
s, beer
, sandwich
es, candy
, etc., has ceased aboard domestic trains. The increasing number of Servex convenience store
s at railway stations and the relatively short duration of most train journeys in the Netherlands have lowered the demand for on-train services. In 2005 a much reduced in-train service of drinks and small snacks has been reintroduced on longer journeys. Nowadays the RailTender service primarily operates in the intercity trains on the trajectory between Utrecht and Zwolle.
, fares information, and capabilities to read the OV Chipcard. The latest version is the HP
iPaq h4350 Pocket PC
, which can communicate through Bluetooth
with their Sony Ericsson T610
GPRS-telephone. NS is currently studying the upgrade to a next generation platform.
Its trains operate over the tracks of the Dutch national railinfrastructure, operated by ProRail
ProRail
In the Netherlands, ProRail is a government task organisation that takes care of maintenance and extensions of the national railway network infrastructure , of allocating rail capacity, and of traffic control...
, which was split off from NS in 2003. Freight services, formerly operated by NS Cargo are now part of the DB Schenker
DB Schenker
DB Schenker is a logistics company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn AG. The company, created by reorganisation and rebranding of various Deutsche Bahn subsidiaries, comprises a logistics division encompassing air, land and sea freight, and a rail division made up from a variety of...
group since a merger in 2000.
NS handles 1.1 million passengers every day, with 4,800 scheduled trains.
History
Founding
The NS was founded in 1938 when the two largest Dutch railway companies, the Hollandsche IJzeren Spoorweg-MaatschappijHollandsche IJzeren Spoorweg-Maatschappij
The Hollandsche IJzeren Spoorweg-Maatschappij or HSM was the first railway company in the Netherlands founded on 8 August 1837 as a private company, starting operation in 1839 with a line between Amsterdam and Haarlem...
(HSM) and the Maatschappij tot Exploitatie van Staatsspoorwegen
Maatschappij tot Exploitatie van Staatsspoorwegen
The Maatschappij tot Exploitatie van Staatsspoorwegen or SS was a private railroad founded to utilise the government funded railways. The company existed until 1938, when it formally merged with the Hollandsche IJzeren Spoorweg-Maatschappij to form the Nederlandse Spoorwegen...
(SS), formally merged. These two companies, however, had been intensively cooperating as early as 1917. There were both economic and ideological reasons for the cooperation.
Due to the First World War, the economic situation had declined in the Netherlands, and the railwaycompanies started to lose money. The railway companies were considered of great importance and thus letting them slip into bankruptcy was not an option. The companies thus started an intensive cooperation in which their operational activities were completely integrated, even though the companies themselves remained independent entities. To financially support the companies, shares were bought by the Dutch government. In 1938 the government merged the HSM and SS into the current company, the Nederlandse Spoorwegen. The government bought the remaining shares, but never nationalized
Nationalization
Nationalisation, also spelled nationalization, is the process of taking an industry or assets into government ownership by a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to private assets, but may also mean assets owned by lower levels of government, such as municipalities, being...
the company. Therefore NS remained (and still is) a private company with the Dutch government as sole shareholder.
NS as a state enterprise
During the Second World War the NS remained an independent company, but was forced to do the Germans' bidding; the NS was forced to construct the railway lines to camp Westerbork and help in the deportation of almost a hundred thousand Jews to extermination camps. The NS went on a strike once during the war, in the winter of 1944Dutch famine of 1944
The Dutch famine of 1944, known as the Hongerwinter in Dutch, was a famine that took place in the German-occupied part of the Netherlands, especially in the densely populated western provinces above the great rivers, during the winter of 1944-1945, near the end of World War II. A German blockade...
, after it had declined to participate in one a year earlier.
The NS played a pivotal role in the reconstruction of the country. There was little alternative transport in the country besides the train, while there was a huge demand for logistical services
Logistics
Logistics is the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and...
which the NS could provide.
While the 1950s were generally a good time for the company, it started to decline in the 60s, like most other railways around the world. Not only did the NS suffer from the competition of the car and other modes of transport, it also suffered from a loss of income when natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
started to replace coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
as the main fuel in powerplants and homes after a gas field was found near Slochteren
Slochteren
Slochteren is a municipality in the northeastern Netherlands.The municipality can be characterized as a chain of small villages dividing a mostly agricultural landscape. Having an agricultural background for at least a thousand years, the community houses for the most part commuters to nearby...
. The NS had been involved in the transport of coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
from the mines in Limburg
Limburg (Netherlands)
Limburg is the southernmost of the twelve provinces of the Netherlands. It is located in the southeastern part of the country and bordered by the province of Gelderland to the north, Germany to the east, Belgium to the south and part of the west, andthe Dutch province of North Brabant partly to...
to the remainder of the country.
The NS responded with an aggressive strategy named Spoorslag '70. This strategy meant, among other things, that the NS substantially increased the number of trains per hour and also introduced the Intercity services. However, it was quite clear that this would never return the company to profitability. Nevertheless the company was declared to be of national importance, meaning that it would receive large amounts of subsidies every year.
Reforms of the 1990s
In the early 90s, the government started to question the subsidies given to the NS. Not only were there questions regarding the way the NS spent the subsidies, but, after the neo liberal reforms of the 80s, it was also considered not done to award generic subsidies to companies. The government decided on the verzelfstandigingCorporatization
Corporatization refers to the transformation of state assets or agencies into state-owned corporations in order to introduce corporate management techniques to their administration...
of the NS. (Although technically, this is not the case, but instead refers here to withdrawal of the subsidies.) The idea was that not only rail transport was economically viable, but that there could be competition as well.
There were two external circumstances which allowed for this to happen. Firstly, the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
passed Directive 91/440
EU Directive 91/440
The EU Directive 91/440 is European Union legislation that sets out a framework and requirements for railways in the EU to allow open access operations on railway lines by companies other than those that own the rail infrastructure...
, which prescribed, among other things, the (formal) separation of the national railways into two separate companies, one which deals with the infrastructure, and the other which deals with the transport activities. Secondly, the old CEO of the NS, Leo Ploeger, retired, which allowed the government to name a new CEO which would execute the government's plans. The new CEO was Rob den Besten.
The plans entailed that the government would remain responsible for the rail infrastructure, while the NS would provide the (passenger) transport on a commercial basis. Where the services would prove to be economically inviable the government would subsidise that route. The division which was responsible for the infrastructure would later be turned into NS Railinfratrust
NS Railinfratrust
The Railinfratrust Company is the owner of the Dutch railtracks. ProRail B.V. is the part of RIT that takes care of maintenance and extension of the national railway network infrastructure, of allocating rail capacity, and of traffic control. NS Railinfratrust is a government agency but is not the...
, later known as ProRail.
To facilitate the government plans for the commercial operation of the NS, den Besten planned to split the NS into many smaller independent divisions. The idea was that these smaller divisions would be better able to respond to the market. The plans, however, received massive opposition from the unions, which meant that the only divisions created were NS Reizigers, and locomotive maintenance company NedTrain
NedTrain
NedTrain are the locomotive and rolling stock maintenance and repair company of the Dutch Railways company, Nederlandse Spoorwegen.-History:Always historically part of Nederlandse Spoorwegen, NedTrain's history closely follows that of its parent company and main customer...
. There were also other internal changes in the company. The routemanagers got de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
control over the operation, but they were dependent of a different organ in the company.
The freight sector NS Cargo became part of the Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn AG is the German national railway company, a private joint stock company . Headquartered in Berlin, it came into existence in 1994 as the successor to the former state railways of Germany, the Deutsche Bundesbahn of West Germany and the Deutsche Reichsbahn of East Germany...
after its merger with Railion
Railion
DB Schenker Rail is a European railway cargo carrier. The company was formed from the freight operating section of the Deutsche Bahn DB Cargo with the addition of various European rail freight operating companies.In December 2007 Railion became part of the DB Schenker logistics group, itself a...
in 2000, now known as DB-Schenker rail.
These reforms were never much of a success and left the company in an uncontrollable state. Result was that the company started to decline rapidly, and that the employees started many unorganised strikes. Following this, the complete board of directors felt it necessary to resign in late 2001.
In 2002 Karel Noordzij was named as new CEO of the NS with the mission to restore the confidence in the company. In essence, he did this by reversing most the reforms of the late 90s and restoring the company to the old state. Meanwhile, the government had changed its opinion of the railways, it no longer considered competition on (passenger) transport a viable goal. Thus, the government started to commission railway operators to run routes on the network. The NS was granted (by the national government) the concession
Concession (contract)
A concession is a business operated under a contract or license associated with a degree of exclusivity in business within a certain geographical area. For example, sports arenas or public parks may have concession stands. Many department stores contain numerous concessions operated by other...
to run on the main lines, whereas other companies received a number of the concessions on the secondary lines. The goal is to give individual concessions for the individual lines, but (at least) until 2015 the NS holds the concessions for main lines.
Coverage
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
, The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
, Utrecht
Utrecht (city)
Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...
and Eindhoven as well as some larger cities: Amersfoort
Amersfoort
Amersfoort is a municipality and the second largest city of the province of Utrecht in central Netherlands. The city is growing quickly but has a well-preserved and protected medieval centre. Amersfoort is one of the largest railway junctions in the country, because of its location on two of the...
, Arnhem
Arnhem
Arnhem is a city and municipality, situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland and located near the river Nederrijn as well as near the St. Jansbeek, which was the source of the city's development. Arnhem has 146,095 residents as one of the...
, 's-Hertogenbosch, Dordrecht
Dordrecht
Dordrecht , colloquially Dordt, historically in English named Dort, is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, located in the province of South Holland. It is the fourth largest city of the province, having a population of 118,601 in 2009...
and Leiden).
From December 2008 train frequencies were increased on following services: Arnhem-Nijmegen (8 trains per hour) and Den Haag - Rotterdam (12 trains per hour), Amsterdam Centraal-Hoofddorp (16 trains per hour). A night train service was added between Utrecht, Gouda and Rotterdam.
"Train routes in the Netherlands
Train routes in the Netherlands
This list of train routes in the Netherlands focuses on the routes taken by trains travelling on railway lines in the Netherlands. A list including all stops on the train routes can be found at Dutch railway services...
" shows all the routes of the NS and private companies.
Trains usually run between 6:00 am and midnight, although there is also a night line which connects major cities in the Randstad
Randstad
Image:Randstad_with_scale.png|400px|thumb|right|Clickable schematic map of the Randstadcircle 528 380 26 Schipholrect 426 356 498 436 Haarlemmermeerrect 399 166 479 245 Velsencircle 250 716 32 Delftcircle 220 642 60 The Hague...
throughout the night, and in weekends also some major cities in Brabant
North Brabant
North Brabant , sometimes called Brabant, is a province of the Netherlands, located in the south of the country, bordered by Belgium in the south, the Meuse River in the north, Limburg in the east and Zeeland in the west.- History :...
.
In addition to its domestic services, NS is also a partner (along with Stena Line
Stena Line
Stena Line is one of the world's largest ferry operators, with ferry services serving Scotland, Sweden, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Norway, England, Wales, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands and Poland. Stena Line is a major unit of Stena AB, itself a part of the Stena Sphere, a grouping of Stena AB,...
and National Express
National Express
National Express Coaches, more commonly known as National Express, is a brand and company, owned by the National Express Group, under which the majority of long distance bus and coach services in Great Britain are operated,...
) in the Dutchflyer
Dutchflyer
Dutchflyer is the name given in the UK to an integrated passenger service between the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Formerly known as Amsterdam Express, Dutchflyer is a rail/sea/rail service operated jointly by Stena Line, National Express East Anglia, and Nederlandse Spoorwegen...
service. NS has also entered into a partnership with KLM to operate services on the new HSL-Zuid
HSL-Zuid
HSL-Zuid , is a 125 km-long high-speed railway line in the Netherlands to the Belgian border, with a branch to Breda. Together with the Belgian HSL 4 it forms the Schiphol–Antwerp high-speed railway...
under the name NS Hispeed
NS Hispeed
NS Hispeed is the rail operator in the Netherlands that operates international intercity and high-speed train connections as well as national high-speed trains over the HSL-Zuid high speed line, which are branded as Fyra....
.
Hoofdrailnet
The hoofdrailnet is the official core internal passenger railnetwork of the Netherlands. Currently NS has a concession until 1 January 2015 to provide all passenger services on this network, except that on some stretches there is an overlap with lines for which other operators have a concession. Some of the most notable of these stretches are that from Amsterdam Centraal railway station to the point beyond Schiphol railway station called Hoofddorp railway stationHoofddorp railway station
Hoofddorp is a railway station in Hoofddorp, Noord Holland, the Netherlands.The station is on the Amsterdam - Schiphol - Leiden Centraal - Den Haag - Rotterdam main line.-History:...
where the HSL-Zuid
HSL-Zuid
HSL-Zuid , is a 125 km-long high-speed railway line in the Netherlands to the Belgian border, with a branch to Breda. Together with the Belgian HSL 4 it forms the Schiphol–Antwerp high-speed railway...
branches off, and a similar overlap around Rotterdam. In principle the overlaps do not constitute competition on the same lines.
The concession was free of charge until 2009, and costs an increasing amount since then, up to €30 million for the year 2014.
The concession distinguishes main stations and other stations. Except on New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
, the main stations have to be served twice an hour per direction from 6:00-24:00, and the other stations once an hour. Exceptions are possible.
The next concession period is 2015-2025. Therefore, before 2015 it has to be decided whether NS will keep the concession, and under what terms. Requirements will include:
- for every train service where on average more than one-third of the passengers travel longer than 30 minutes, a train with a toilet is used
- every newly ordered train has a toilet
- in 2025 every train has a toilet
Currently trains on the hoofdrailnet without a toilet include:
- NS Stadsgewestelijk MaterieelNS Stadsgewestelijk MaterieelThe Stadsgewestelijk Materieel or SGM is an Electric Multiple Unit train type operated by the Nederlandse Spoorwegen in The Netherlands. They were built from 1975 to 1983 by Talbot...
nrs. 2111 - 2125, the so-called "Sprinter" - Sprinter Lighttrain
Types of train service
There are two kinds of passenger trains:- A 'stoptrein' (literally: "train that stops," that is, a local train or omnibus) stops at all stations, and is mainly used for local traffic. On some smaller lines, though, it is the only kind of service. 'Sprinters' are trains operating as a 'stoptrein', but only on dedicated lines in the RandstadRandstadImage:Randstad_with_scale.png|400px|thumb|right|Clickable schematic map of the Randstadcircle 528 380 26 Schipholrect 426 356 498 436 Haarlemmermeerrect 399 166 479 245 Velsencircle 250 716 32 Delftcircle 220 642 60 The Hague...
. The Sprinter is the equivalent to the SwissSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
RegioExpressRegioExpressThe RegioExpress is a fast regional train in Switzerland, run by the Swiss Federal Railways or by other private railways ....
. Currently it is usually called 'Sprinter' because it usually uses the 'Sprinter' (2900 class) rolling stock; however, the service is sometimes operated using older style rolling stock (such as 'Plan V/T': 400, 500, 800 and 900 class). - 'Intercity's only stop at larger stations, and were introduced in the 1970s to provide fast train connections throughout the country. As with the formerly widely used 'Sneltrein' service, Intercities services are usually operated by 'DD-IRM' and 'ICM/Koploper' class trains. On some stretches intercity trains stop at all stations, including small ones; this applies on the stretches Haarlem - Zandvoort, Alkmaar - Den Helder, Hoorn - Enkhuizen, Leiden - Woerden, and Deurne - Venlo; in these cases the label "intercity" indicates that the train does not stop at all stations elsewhere on its route. See also Intercity services in the Netherlands and lijst van Nederlandse Intercitystations (in Dutch).
There is a decreasing number of trains of intermediate type called 'Sneltrein'. Most of the remaining ones will become Intercity trains with the completion of the HSL Zuid
HSL-Zuid
HSL-Zuid , is a 125 km-long high-speed railway line in the Netherlands to the Belgian border, with a branch to Breda. Together with the Belgian HSL 4 it forms the Schiphol–Antwerp high-speed railway...
. On 10 December 2006 the NS introduced a complete timetable overhaul which has more frequent Intercity trains serving an expanded Intercity network, and smaller branch lines and stations being served by Stoptreinen feeder services. This is all part of the NS modernisation and expansion program.
Fares and tickets
There is partly a common tariff system, see Rail transport in the Netherlands#Fares, with four smaller passenger train operating companies — SyntusSyntus
Syntus bv is a public transport company operating bus and passenger train services in the east of the Netherlands. It is owned jointly by NS Reizigers and Keolis...
and Connexxion
Connexxion
Connexxion is the largest public transport bus company in the Netherlands, operating in the west, middle, east and far northern part of the country. It was formed in 1999 as result of a fusion between the public transport companies NZH, ZWN, Midnet and Oostnet. Its name is a mutation of the French...
in the east, Veolia on the 'Maaslijn' and 'Miljoenenlijn' in the south east, Arriva
Arriva
Arriva plc is a multinational public transport company owned by Deutsche Bahn and headquartered in Sunderland, United Kingdom. It has bus, coach, train, tram and waterbus operations in 12 countries across Europe, employs more than 47,500 people and services over 1.5 billion passenger journeys each...
in the north of the country and on the 'Merwede-Lingelijn
Merwede-Lingelijn
The Elst–Dordrecht railway is a railway line in the Netherlands running from Elst to Dordrecht, passing through Tiel, Geldermalsen and Gorinchem. It is also called the Betuwelijn or Merwede-Lingelijn in Dutch...
' (from Dordrecht to Geldermalsen).
NS is encouraging people who buy traditional domestic tickets, to do that at ticket machines. They are still available at counters (planned to be developed into service centres) at larger stations for a supplement of €0.50 per ticket since June 2004.
The disadvantage of this is for foreign users, as none of the machines accept banknotes, while most also do not accept credit cards or non-Dutch debit cards. However the current web site and ticket machine web demonstration shows that credit cards are accepted.
It is also possible to buy e-tickets online on the Dutch Railways website.
During the annual Boekenweek (Bookweek), it is possible to travel for free on Sunday upon showing the Boekenweekgeschenk (Bookweekgift).
Increasingly, operators apply separate tariffs, partly related to the gradually introduced OV-chipkaart
OV-chipkaart
The OV-chipkaart is a contactless smart card system which is in the process of being introduced on all public transport in the Netherlands, including train, metro, tram and bus...
, which combines card integration with price differentiation. Since 1 August 2011 there is even a whole series of new passes, just for NS. 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 increases the fare for journeys requiring a change from one to another.
From December 2009, after acquiring the OV-chipkaart no regular NS ticket has to be bought anymore. Even for recharging the electronic money
Electronic money
Electronic money is money or scrip that is only exchanged electronically. Typically, this involves the use of computer networks, the internet and digital stored value systems...
on the card, one can order this to be done automatically.
Travelling with the OV-chipkaart one has to register starting a journey (check in) and ending it (check out), and must always travel away from the point of one's latest check-in. Thus in the case of a voluntary detour, one has to check out and check in to register starting a new journey.
Off-peak discount passes
NS defines off-peak hours as weekdays 0:00-6:30, 9:00-16:30 and 19:00-24:00 and on Saturdays and Sundays the whole day. One is automatically granted the discount based on the time of checking in.There is an Off-Peak Discount Pass (in Dutch: Dal Voordeel abonnement) for € 50 / year, allowing a 40% discount on journeys starting in off-peak hours. In the case of a group of up to four people, all get the discount even if only one has a pass.
People of 60 years or older can buy a supplement for €14 for free travel during off-peak hours on 7 days of choice (with some limitations) during the year. It is not possible to buy multiple supplements for the same year.
There is also an Off-Peak Free Pass (in Dutch: Dal Vrij abonnement) for € 1140 / year, allowing free journeys which each start in the off-peak hours (compare the OV-Jaarabonnement).
Logo
The Nederlandse Spoorwegen logo is the corporate logo of NS. The logo was designed in 1968 by Gert Dumbar and Gert-Jan Leuvelink for graphic design company Tel Design. It was introduced in the same year.The logo usually appears in blue on a dark yellow or white background. Since the introduction of the current corporate logo all NS trains have the same distinct dark yellow or white colour. The logo, which replaced a design which had been used since 1946, can be found in a great number of places on trains and railway stations in the Netherlands. The logo is a widened letter 'N', and a sideways (reversed) 'S'-shape. The two arrows in the logo represent the directions of the movement made by the train, the two lines in the middle represent the track.
The logo always plays a significant part in the NS' signage, promotions, advertising and graphic design.
Divisions of NS
- NS Reizigers (NSR) - NS Travellers, responsible for passenger train services and for employing train drivers and conductorConductor (transportation)A conductor is a member of a railway train's crew that is responsible for operational and safety duties that do not involve the actual operation of the train. The title of conductor is most associated with railway operations in North America, but the role of conductor is common to railways...
s. - NS Poort - the result of merging the former:
- NS Stations - in charge of the operation of all 390 railway stations in the Netherlands, i.e., also those served by other railway companies than NS Reizigers; see also station facilities.
- NS Vastgoed - owns 48 km² of land, often near stations, and develops and operates these areas as public traffic nodes, offices and apartments.
- NedTrain - trainTrainA train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
maintenance. - NS Commercie - product- and customer management (business and product development, marketing, sales and customer service).
- NS HispeedNS HispeedNS Hispeed is the rail operator in the Netherlands that operates international intercity and high-speed train connections as well as national high-speed trains over the HSL-Zuid high speed line, which are branded as Fyra....
- operator, in conjunction with NS Reizigers and foreign partners, of high-speed international FyraFyraFyra is a high-speed train service operating on the Dutch HSL-Zuid and planned for the Belgian HSL 4, between Amsterdam, Schiphol Airport, Rotterdam, Breda, Antwerp, and Brussels. Fyra shares the high-speed tracks with operator Thalys. The service is offered by NS Hispeed and the NMBS/SNCB...
services on the HSL-ZuidHSL-ZuidHSL-Zuid , is a 125 km-long high-speed railway line in the Netherlands to the Belgian border, with a branch to Breda. Together with the Belgian HSL 4 it forms the Schiphol–Antwerp high-speed railway...
, ThalysThalysThalys is an international high-speed train operator originally built around the high-speed line between Paris and Brussels. This track is shared with Eurostar trains that go from Paris or Brussels to London via Lille and the Channel Tunnel and with French domestic TGV trains. Thalys reaches...
(from AmsterdamAmsterdamAmsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
to ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
), ICEInterCityExpressThe Intercity-Express or ICE is a system of high-speed trains predominantly running in Germany and neighbouring countries. It is the highest service category offered by DB Fernverkehr and is the flagship of Deutsche Bahn...
(to the German RuhrRuhrThe Ruhr is a medium-size river in western Germany , a right tributary of the Rhine.-Description:The source of the Ruhr is near the town of Winterberg in the mountainous Sauerland region, at an elevation of approximately 2,200 feet...
area), Intercities (to BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and BrusselsBrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
) and the Swiss CityNightLine (to MunichMunichMunich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
and ZurichZürichZurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
). - Nedkoleje - in a joint venture with Polish Railways (PKP), operates trains in West Pomeranian Voivodship (Zachodniopomorskie), PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. - AbellioAbellio (transport company)Abellio is a public transit operator in Germany which operates both bus and rail networks. The headquarters of the company are in Essen. Abellio Germany is part of the Abellio Group , the international expansion arm of the Nederlandse Spoorwegen.-History:Abellio was formed by the Essen public...
(formerly NedRailways) is the international expansion of NS. In the UKUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Abellio partners with Serco in a joint-venture which runs MerseyrailMerseyrailMerseyrail is a train operating company and commuter rail network in the United Kingdom, centred on Liverpool, Merseyside. The network is predominantly electric with diesel trains running on the City Line. Two City Line branches are currently being electrified on the overhead wire AC system with...
services in and around LiverpoolLiverpoolLiverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
and Northern RailNorthern RailNorthern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems...
across the north of England. They also put in a bid to run the South Central franchise under the name of NedRailways South Central Limited, however this did not win. Nedrailways purchased the German bus and rail operator AbellioAbellio (transport company)Abellio is a public transit operator in Germany which operates both bus and rail networks. The headquarters of the company are in Essen. Abellio Germany is part of the Abellio Group , the international expansion arm of the Nederlandse Spoorwegen.-History:Abellio was formed by the Essen public...
from Star Capital Partners and the EssenEssen- Origin of the name :In German-speaking countries, the name of the city Essen often causes confusion as to its origins, because it is commonly known as the German infinitive of the verb for the act of eating, and/or the German noun for food. Although scholars still dispute the interpretation of...
public transit company. On 21 May 2009, it was announced that they were to buy Travel LondonTravel LondonTravel London was a bus operator in London which was originally a subsidiary of the National Express Group. In May 2009 the company was sold to NedRailways, now called Abellio...
, a bus operator, from National Express GroupNational Express GroupNational Express Group plc is a British transport group headquartered in Birmingham that operates bus, coach, rail and tram services in the UK, the US and Canada, Spain, Portugal and Morocco and long-distance coach routes across Europe...
.
In dealing with the general public, these distinctions are not made and the terms Nederlandse Spoorwegen and NS are used.
NS has contracts with Connexxion
Connexxion
Connexxion is the largest public transport bus company in the Netherlands, operating in the west, middle, east and far northern part of the country. It was formed in 1999 as result of a fusion between the public transport companies NZH, ZWN, Midnet and Oostnet. Its name is a mutation of the French...
and BBA, now Veolia Transport for the provision of bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
services to replace train services in the case of planned and unplanned cancellations.
On the 23rd of July, NS concluded the sale of the construction company Strukton to Oranjewoud. This concludes the history of planning, designing and executing track development done by the NS.
Policy
There is a delay refund scheme entitling passengers to a partial or full refund of the ticket price if a journey is delayed by half an hour or more. The scheme does not apply on short-distance journeys and cases in which the delay is the result of planned cancellations that were announced some days in advance. Refunds are, in general, half the ticket price of a one-way trip after a delay of over 30 minutes, and the full ticket price after a delay of one hour or more. This applies to nearly all kinds of tickets. The refund is not considered a monetary compensation for lost time but rather as a reduction in charges where a poor service has been provided. Many do not claim because the system is perceived as cumbersome; however, the system has improved for holders of a rail pass. Part of the cost of the scheme is paid by ProRail, since they are responsible for part of the delays.Since 1 January 2004, tobacco smoking
Tobacco smoking
Tobacco smoking is the practice where tobacco is burned and the resulting smoke is inhaled. The practice may have begun as early as 5000–3000 BCE. Tobacco was introduced to Eurasia in the late 16th century where it followed common trade routes...
is prohibited on domestic trains, station halls and covered parts of platforms. The smoking of cannabis
Cannabis
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a...
was already prohibited, though it happens occasionally and is not as severely punished as in some other countries (that is, it is punished the same as tobacco smoking). Smoking is allowed near smoking-zones (Rookzones), posts with an ash-tray built in, scattered around stations.
Since June 2003, the sale of coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
, soft drink
Soft drink
A soft drink is a non-alcoholic beverage that typically contains water , a sweetener, and a flavoring agent...
s, beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
, sandwich
Sandwich
A sandwich is a food item, typically consisting of two or more slices of :bread with one or more fillings between them, or one slice of bread with a topping or toppings, commonly called an open sandwich. Sandwiches are a widely popular type of lunch food, typically taken to work or school, or...
es, candy
Candy
Candy, specifically sugar candy, is a confection made from a concentrated solution of sugar in water, to which flavorings and colorants are added...
, etc., has ceased aboard domestic trains. The increasing number of Servex convenience store
Convenience store
A convenience store, corner store, corner shop, commonly called a bodega in Spanish-speaking areas of the United States, is a small store or shop in a built up area that stocks a range of everyday items such as groceries, toiletries, alcoholic and soft drinks, and may also offer money order and...
s at railway stations and the relatively short duration of most train journeys in the Netherlands have lowered the demand for on-train services. In 2005 a much reduced in-train service of drinks and small snacks has been reintroduced on longer journeys. Nowadays the RailTender service primarily operates in the intercity trains on the trajectory between Utrecht and Zwolle.
Technological assistance for train staff
Conductors have a small computer called Railpocket with timetablePublic transport timetable
A public transport timetable is a representation of public transport information to assist a passenger with planning a trip using public transport. A timetable details when vehicle will arrive and depart specified locations and may be organised for by route or for a particular stop...
, fares information, and capabilities to read the OV Chipcard. The latest version is the HP
Hewlett-Packard
Hewlett-Packard Company or HP is an American multinational information technology corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, California, USA that provides products, technologies, softwares, solutions and services to consumers, small- and medium-sized businesses and large enterprises, including...
iPaq h4350 Pocket PC
Pocket PC
A Pocket PC is also known by Microsoft as a 'Windows Mobile Classic device'. It is a hardware specification for a handheld-sized computer, personal digital assistant , that runs the Microsoft 'Windows Mobile Classic' operating system...
, which can communicate through Bluetooth
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a proprietary open wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances from fixed and mobile devices, creating personal area networks with high levels of security...
with their Sony Ericsson T610
Sony Ericsson T610
The Sony Ericsson T610, released in 2003, is a mobile phone manufactured by Sony Ericsson. It was one of the first widely available mobile phones to include a built-in digital camera, Bluetooth, color screen, joystick navigation, and was a very high selling model.The T610 is available in three...
GPRS-telephone. NS is currently studying the upgrade to a next generation platform.
See also
- Dutch railway servicesDutch railway servicesDutch railway services is an index page of all the rail services operated in the Netherlands.Railway services in the Netherlands are operated by the following operators :*Nederlandse Spoorwegen*Syntus...
- Locomotives of Nederlandse Spoorwegen
- NS RailinfratrustNS RailinfratrustThe Railinfratrust Company is the owner of the Dutch railtracks. ProRail B.V. is the part of RIT that takes care of maintenance and extension of the national railway network infrastructure, of allocating rail capacity, and of traffic control. NS Railinfratrust is a government agency but is not the...
- ProRailProRailIn the Netherlands, ProRail is a government task organisation that takes care of maintenance and extensions of the national railway network infrastructure , of allocating rail capacity, and of traffic control...
- Rail transport by countryRail transport by countryThis page provides an index of articles on Rail transport by country.Other indexes available include:*List of railway companies by country*List of countries by rail transport network size*Rail usage statistics by country...
- Rail transport in the NetherlandsRail transport in the NetherlandsRail 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...
- Railway stations in the NetherlandsRailway stations in the NetherlandsThere are 392 railway stations in the Netherlands, including 5 railway stations which are only served during events, 1 which exists only to facilitate pilgrimage to a nearby site and 1 which exists only to facilitate the Railway Museum....
- Train categories in EuropeTrain categories in EuropeRailway companies in Europe assign their trains to different categories or train types depending on their role. Passenger trains may be broadly split into long-distance and local trains; the latter having average journey times of under an hour and a range of less than 50 kilometres. Goods trains...
- Train routes in the NetherlandsTrain routes in the NetherlandsThis list of train routes in the Netherlands focuses on the routes taken by trains travelling on railway lines in the Netherlands. A list including all stops on the train routes can be found at Dutch railway services...
- Trains in the NetherlandsTrains in the NetherlandsThe following are current and former trains in the Netherlands.-Out of service:* Arend: was the first train in the Netherlands and pulled the first train between Amsterdam and Haarlem in 1839....
- Transportation in the Netherlands
External links
- www.ns.nl/en
- www.prorail.nl
- Concession for the hoofdrailnet 2005 – 2015 (after modification in 2010); in Dutch