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57-632: From 2003 to 2009 light rail vehicles operated on the Gouda–Alphen aan den Rijn railway, sharing these tracks with regular NS stock. As of 2013, only NS stock is used on the railway. The RGL would have been the first system in the Netherlands where light rail vehicles shared heavy rail tracks with heavy rail trains , similar to the tram-train systems around Karlsruhe and Saarbrücken , Germany . This shared track runs from Gouda through Alphen aan den Rijn to Leiden . The existing heavy rail track

114-819: A train with a toilet is used, every newly ordered train has a toilet and in 2025 every train has to have a toilet. The last trains on the hoofdrailnet without a toilet were the NS SGMm (the so-called classical "Sprinter", retired 2018–21) and the Sprinter Lighttrain (SLT, these trains have since had on-board toilets retrofitted ). NS provides three kinds of train service: There are also two former train categories, which are now used only by private operators: You can travel using contactless payments on all Dutch public transport: on all domestic trains, metros, trams and busses, nationwide. Using contactless payments, you travel 2nd class, regular full price. The price

171-530: A consequence of personnel shortages. NS has been involved in various controversies. 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 five cities ( Amsterdam , Rotterdam , The Hague , Utrecht and Eindhoven ) as well as some smaller cities ( Nijmegen , Amersfoort , Arnhem , 's-Hertogenbosch , Dordrecht and Leiden ). From December 2008 train frequencies were increased on

228-560: A day, serving 1.1 million passengers. The NS also provides international rail services from the Netherlands to other European destinations and carries out concessions on some foreign rail markets through its subsidiary Abellio . World War I caused an economic downturn in the Netherlands that caused the two largest Dutch railway companies, Hollandsche IJzeren Spoorweg-Maatschappij (HSM) and Maatschappij tot Exploitatie van Staatsspoorwegen (SS), to become unprofitable. The companies avoided bankruptcy by integrating their operations, which

285-416: A different organ in the company The freight business, NS Cargo, merged with Deutsche Bahn ; the resulting company operated as Railion in 2000 and then as DB Cargo . Performance deteriorated after the reforms, and the company suffered multiple unorganized strikes. The entire board of directors resigned in late-2001. Another change in strategy followed. Karel Noordzij became CEO in 2002 and reversed many of

342-634: A large increase in many other rail routes in the Randstad. The six light rail vehicles purchased for the test eventually proved inadequate, also because of the large number of problems they faced. In August 2009 it was announced that the proposed precursor of the RGL on the Gouda-Alphen route would disappear as of 13 December 2009, because using only Sprinter the train timetables could be improved. A more direct train service between Gouda and Leiden Centraal

399-518: A model that is also used on the Tvärbanan light rail line in Stockholm . The grey and blue trams were fitted with yellow stickers to resemble NS "Sprinter" trains. On 13 December 2009, the trial ended and "Sprinter" trains took over the line. The A32 trams were sold to Stockholm. In North Waddinxveen the existing platform was extended with a low wooden platform. At Boskoop the island platform

456-465: A smartphone with a timetable , fares information, and a separate card reader to read the OV-chipkaart . Train drivers use a tablet with an app called "TimTim" to save energy and keep up with the timetable. The train driver can also see other trains in front or behind their train. In 2018, NS saw its number of passengers increase by nearly 3 percent. On average, 1.3 million people took the train on

513-564: A surcharge of €1. They are a disposable use-once only. It is possible to buy e-tickets online on the Dutch Railways website. E-tickets can also be purchased on the Belgian NMBS/SNCB B -Europe website. For long-term use, season tickets are available. Travelling with these cards and tickets, one has to register starting a journey ( check-in ) and ending it ( check out ) at the destination. One always has to travel away from

570-706: A weekday, 100.000 more than in 2016 and the over 250 NS train stations are becoming increasingly crowded. Also see List of busiest railway stations in The Netherlands Leiden Lammenschans railway station Leiden Lammenschans is a railway station in Leiden , Netherlands . The station, designed by Koen van der Gaast , was opened on 18 May 1961. It is served by trains running between Leiden Centraal and Utrecht Centraal , and by RijnGouweLijn trains running between Leiden Centraal and Gouda at peak hours . Leiden Lammenschans

627-432: Is a widened letter 'N' and a sideways (reversed) 'S'-shape. The two arrows in the logo represent the train's movement, and the two lines in the middle represent the track. 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

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684-528: Is also a partner (along with Stena Line and British railway company Greater Anglia ) in the Dutchflyer service. NS has also entered into a partnership with KLM to operate services on the new HSL-Zuid under the name Intercity Direct towards Breda and Brussels. Intercity Direct is part of NS International ; other services such as Eurostar to France and Intercity-Express to Germany and Switzerland are also part of NS International. The hoofdrailnet

741-484: Is the official core internal passenger rail network of the Netherlands. Currently, NS has a concession until 1 January 2034 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 those from Elst railway station to Arnhem Centraal railway station , where NS shares tracks with Arriva , and further on to Arnhem Velperpoort . Here

798-448: Is the same as using the anonymous ov-chipcard (see below). You do not need an app or ticket, nor do you have to register or signup to use this. Apple Pay, Google Pay and many contactless debit and credit cards can directly be used. Travelling using contactless works as following: At the start of your journey, place your smartphone or bank card in front of the reader to check-in. At the end of your journey, or if you transfer, check-out at

855-535: The Bombardier Flexity Swift model, produced in Vienna . The usage of the designation A32 is originally from SL in Stockholm , Sweden . In the beginning they were used on the regular railway service between Gouda and Alphen aan den Rijn. The stations were adapted by adding new low-level platforms , either as extensions to existing high-level platforms or by building them on the opposite side of

912-417: The 1991 EU Directive 91/440 ; the latter required railway infrastructure and transport activities to be managed independently. Although the state called the process " corporatization " ( verzelfstandiging ), it really only meant the withdrawal of subsidies. The changes were carried out by Rob den Besten, who became chief executive officer of NS after the retirement of Leo Ploeger. NS' infrastructure division

969-588: The Provincial Council of South Holland. Both Katwijk and Noordwijk got a tram to the coast. However, the province addressed the concerns of Katwijk and routed the line not on the Boulevard but to finish in Badstraat. In March 2003 test traffic was started between Gouda and Alphen aan den Rijn with light rail equipment on existing rail tracks, largely using RGL vehicles. These were Bombardier A32s,

1026-449: The RGL (including D66 and SP, never strong supporters of the RGL). On Wednesday 30 January 2013, the provincial government chose to stop this version of the RGL project. Instead, there were to be more trains, stations and buses. Nederlandse Spoorwegen Nederlandse Spoorwegen ( Dutch: [ˈneːdərlɑntsə ˈspoːrˌʋeːɣə(n)] ; English: "Dutch Railways" ; NS ) is

1083-424: The RGL it was expected that the accessibility of central Leiden would be greatly improved. A track through the centre of Leiden would mean that the travel time for people who have a destination outside Leiden would be significantly longer, and this course had repercussions for the passenger forecast. These estimates were repeatedly reduced. The most recent forecasts a ridership of 50,000 passengers — 42,000 more than in

1140-470: The bus network. Especially controversial was a single track section through the Breestraat. Therefore, in addition to the original plan several alternative plans were developed. In one of those alternatives the RGL would follow the existing route of the railway line all the way to Leiden Centraal, or to a point near the station. The railway would be doubled, and perhaps be moved to a concrete overpass above

1197-460: The busiest tram line in Amsterdam (number 5). On the route Leiden-Katwijk/Noordwijk the number of passengers would only be slightly higher than on the current bus network. The section between Gouda and Leiden was originally scheduled to be inaugurated in 2005. This was later postponed to 2007 and later to 2015, simultaneously with western section. From 2003 to 2009 light rail vehicles were used on

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1254-530: The case of planned and unplanned cancellations. On 23 July 2010 NS sold Strukton to the construction company Oranjewoud N.V.. This concluded a long history of planning, designing and executing track development done by the NS. 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 (tickets less than €2.30) and cases in which

1311-471: The centre and the east, Veolia on the 'Maaslijn' and 'Heuvellandlijn' in the southeast, Arriva in the north and most of the east of the country and on the ' Merwede-Lingelijn ' (from Dordrecht to Geldermalsen). The OV-chipkaart is also used on buses and trams, where hourly tickets are for sale for those who have too little credit to travel but enough cash. NS defines off-peak hours as weekdays from 09:00–16:00 and 18:30–06:30, and on Saturdays and Sundays

1368-479: The company's CEO is former minister Wouter Koolmees , after Marjan Rintel left to become CEO of KLM . NS was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic , which caused massive drops in passenger numbers. The company received significant financial support from the national government in order to keep the company solvent. In 2022, the company made significant cuts in its timetable, running fewer and shorter trains, as

1425-583: The cost of the scheme is paid by ProRail, since they are responsible for part of the delays. Tobacco smoking is prohibited both on trains and in stations. Smoking on trains has been prohibited since 2004, with smoking in stations permitted in designated smoking zones, until this too was disallowed in October 2020. Since June 2003, the sale of coffee , soft drinks , beer , sandwiches , candy , etc., has ceased aboard domestic trains. The increasing number of Servex convenience stores at railway stations and

1482-461: The current track. These alternative plans were shown to be three to four times more expensive than the originally proposed route through the city centre. On 7 March 2007 a referendum was held in Leiden, on the arrival of the RGL to Leiden (a specific route was not mentioned in the referendum question). 69% of the Leiden inhabitants voted 'no' to the proposal. Accordingly, the town rejected the RGL, but

1539-505: 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. That applies to nearly all kinds of tickets. The refund is not considered monetary compensation for lost time but rather as a reduction in charges where poor service has been provided. The system has been improved for holders of some rail passes. Part of

1596-457: The discovery of a gas field near Slochteren led to coal losing market share to natural gas in power plants and homes. NS' response, the Spoorslag '70 plan which increased service and introduced intercity service, failed to restore profitability. The company was deemed nationally important and received state subsidies . NS was reorganized following the neoliberal reforms of the 1980s and

1653-447: The existing railway between Gouda and Alphen aan den Rijn. The future RGL would then continue to Leiden Lammenschans railway station . In the period 2012-2014, the whole section would be upgraded to double track . The original plan was that the RGL should continue from Leiden Lammenschans railway station as a city tram to Leiden Central Station. This process was controversial, especially regarding safety, cost and impact on cyclists and

1710-617: The following services: Arnhem–Nijmegen (8 trains per hour) and The Hague–Rotterdam (12 trains per hour), Amsterdam Centraal–Hoofddorp (16 trains per hour). A night train service was added between Utrecht, Gouda and Rotterdam. Trains usually run between 5:00 a.m. and 1:00 a.m. although there is also a nightline which connects major cities in the Randstad throughout the night, as well as in weekends also some major cities in North Brabant . In addition to its domestic services, NS

1767-575: The graphic design company Tel Design. Introduced in that same year, it replaced an earlier design which had been used since 1946. The logo, pervasive within trains and railway stations in the Netherlands, plays a significant part in Nederlandse Spoorwegen 's signage, promotions, advertising, and graphic design. The logo usually appears in blue or black on a dark yellow or white background. Since its introduction, NS livery has also had this same distinct dark yellow or white colour. The logo

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1824-412: The main stations have to be served at least twice an hour per direction from 6 a.m. to midnight and the other stations at least once an hour. Exceptions are possible until the start of the next concession. The next concession period is 2025–2035. For the 2015–2025 concession, requirements include: for every train service where on average more than one-third of the passengers travel longer than 30 minutes,

1881-409: The municipality to accept a trajectory through Leiden. Following that, the municipality agreed to accept the RGL through the city. The province and municipality then agreed that the route would follow Hooigracht and Langegracht. The proposed line passed through Leiden Centraal railway station and then used the new tracks to Katwijk with a branch to Noordwijk . The light-rail vehicles used were of

1938-461: The national government, and in the autumn of 2009, State Secretary of Transport Tineke Huizinga indicated that the line to Katwijk would cost €45 million. The line to Noordwijk was to be served by buses in the meantime. Long before there was light rail, some of the tracks had tram traffic. In the 1960s, Leiden had the Blue and Yellow Tram lines. In the 1960s, 70s and 80s plan were often put forward for

1995-415: The platforms to warn passengers of the height/width difference in alighting and boarding. The operation suffered from frequent signal interference caused by malfunctioning axle counters and/or ATP-NG-train security. Soon the RGL got a bad reputation because of the cancellation of a large number of journeys. However the number of passengers per day, around 5,000, during the period 2003-2009 was stable, despite

2052-453: 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. Travellers need to be aware of the various companies other than the Nederlandse Spoorwegen . One needs to check out with one company and check in with another on some stations. There is common tariff system with four smaller passenger train operating companies: Keolis Nederland and Connexxion in

2109-576: The principal passenger railway operator in the Netherlands . It is a Dutch state-owned company founded in 1938. The Dutch rail network is the busiest in the European Union , and the third busiest in the world after Switzerland and Japan . The rail infrastructure is maintained by network manager ProRail , which was split off from NS in 2003. Freight operator NS Cargo merged with DB Cargo in 2000. NS runs 4,800 scheduled domestic trains

2166-461: The province threatened to impose the tram line anyway. This led a majority of the politicians in Leiden to accept, in 2008, an alternative route of the RGL, through Hooigracht/Langegracht. Whereas the tram in the initial proposal would go through Steenstraat/3e Binnenvestgracht Stationsweg to the station, it was to go through the Lammermarkt and Schuttersveld. According to the last urban vision,

2223-535: The reforms to restore confidence in the company. The state no longer considered competitive passenger service to be viable, and began granting concessions with the goal of one concession per line. NS received a concession to run main line routes until 2025. The timetable change on 10 December 2006 saw the most routes to approximate the symmetry minute in clock-face schedules to the one used in most other European countries. The previous symmetry minute 46 led to problems with cross-border trains. As of December 2022

2280-548: 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. Now, the RailTender service primarily operates in the intercity trains on the trajectory between Utrecht and Zwolle/Eindhoven, Zwolle and Almere, 's-Hertogenbosch and Nijmegen, Apeldoorn and Amersfoort, Rotterdam and Breda/Roosendaal/Antwerp. Conductors have

2337-447: The same way. If you use a bank card, be sure to remove it from your wallet, to ensure that the system uses the right card. The costs will be shown in your bank transfer statement the next day, along with a website link and code to get your travel itinerary. The OV-chipkaart is another common form of fare payment. Single or return tickets, used by incidental travellers and tourists, are available at ticket machines and service counters at

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2394-423: The track to the high-level platforms. From 2003 to 2009 there was test traffic with light rail vehicles on the heavy rail track from Gouda to Alphen aan den Rijn. The RGL was divided into two sub-projects: RGL-East (Gouda-Leiden Transferium 't Schouw A44) and RGL-West (Leiden Transferium 't Schouw A44-Katwijk/Noordwijk), both of which were due for completion in late 2015. Completion depended on financial support from

2451-453: The tracks are shared by three operators, as Breng, ultimately part of Transdev , operates there in addition to the two previously mentioned operators. Officially 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 the main stations and other stations. Except on New Year's Eve ,

2508-504: The trajectory of Leiden- Zoetermeer and/or Leiden- Leidschendam-Voorburg via Voorschoten. None of the ideas have been implemented. People soon began to oppose the RGL. Tram traffic was seen as a hazard for cyclists and pedestrians. There was also criticism of the high construction cost of the project. In the 90s it was budgeted for 450 million guilders (€222 million), but by 2007 the amount had risen to €470 million. There were fears of cuts in city and regional bus networks. Furthermore, there

2565-499: The tram to return to the previous sections of the Blue and Yellow Tram. The first ideas for the RGL were presented in the early 90s by Boudewijn Leeuwenburgh, the former district chief of NZH. The tram system was initially intended to be a much larger light rail network, with branches to Leiderdorp, the district of Ridderveld in Alphen and Schiphol . There were also suggestions to link the RGL to Randstadrail , for example by establishing

2622-776: The tram would cross the railway in the Rijnsbruger Tunnel instead of the Joop Walenkamp tunnel, implying the removal of the bicycle lane and taxi stop. After Leiden Centraal station, the line would pass the Leiden University Medical Center and the Bio Science Park, reaching Transferium 't Schouw. From Transferium 't Schouw A44, the RGL would go as light rail to Katwijk aan den Rijn , then fork into branches to Katwijk aan Zee and Noordwijk respectively. In 2005, an agreement

2679-413: The whole day. Therefore, the full fare is required on weekdays 06:30–09:00 and 16:00–18:30. With an OV-chipkaart that allows for a discount or free travel, one is automatically granted the discount or free travel at the time of checking in. There are several season tickets available that suit individual preferences. The NS corporate logo was designed in 1968 by Gert Dumbar and Gert-Jan Leuvelink, both of

2736-529: Was complete by 1917. The cooperation was for both economic and ideological reasons, and the state provided support by buying shares in both companies. In 1938, the state bought the remaining shares and merged the companies to create NS; NS was not nationalised . During World War II , NS was forced by the Germans to construct railways to Westerbork transit camp and transport almost a hundred thousand Jews to extermination camps . The company's only wartime strike

2793-473: Was considerably extended and this is the only concrete platform apart from the platform at Gouda . In Alphen aan den Rijn a new 4LR wooden platform was built along the old freight track. There is a fence between the two separate tracks, to improve driver safety as the cab door opens directly onto the track, not on the platform. Because the trains are wider than the A32 trams, extra warning stripes were placed along

2850-419: Was doubt about the effectiveness of the RGL. The critics were in favour of extending the rail line from Leiden to Utrecht, and investment in dedicated bus lanes on the route from Leiden to Katwijk and Noordwijk. In the 1990s it was projected that approximately 78,000 passengers a day would use the RGL (total number for the system Gouda-Katwijk/Noordwijk). Despite the negative impact on the bus network in favor of

2907-550: Was during the Dutch famine of 1944–45 ; NS opted not to strike a year earlier. NS played a pivotal role in the post-war reconstruction of the Netherlands; it provided the required logistical services in a time when there was little alternative to rail transport. The company declined in the 1960s – like many other railways – and operated at a loss. There was increased competition from other modes of transport. In addition, national coal distribution from Limburg became less profitable;

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2964-512: Was introduced, decreasing the travel time by 8 minutes. With the route through the Hooigracht/Langegracht in Leiden decided (2008), and the decision of the provincial government on the western route, the future of the RGL was a little clearer, but that did not mean that all obstacles have been overcome. The municipality of Noordwijk refused to cooperate and several parties in the city council of Leiden remained fiercely opposed to

3021-563: Was much opposition to the tram plans, both among the general population and in the town councils. Neither community wanted tram traffic in the town centres. For Noordwijk it would end at the European Space Research and Technology Centre on the border with Katwijk. The municipalities presented an alternative alignment of the RGL. The RGL Noordwijk-Binnen would run to Voorhout station and the NS station at Sassenheim. In Katwijk there

3078-410: Was opposition against the branch to Katwijk aan Zee. In both communities the tram line would have to be imposed by the provincial government, as had happened earlier in Leiden. In the autumn of 2009 the national government provided €45 million for the line to Katwijk, but not to Noordwijk. There is a gap of €55 million, for which a solution had to be found. In June 2009, a preferred route was approved by

3135-429: Was signed between all municipalities except the municipality of Leiden to share the costs of the project, with the national government and province covering a large part of the construction cost, and the county bearing all risks for the operation of the line. The western branch of the RGL was also important for the opening of the new building located on the former Valkenburg Naval Air Base . In Katwijk and Noordwijk there

3192-425: Was split off into NS Railinfratrust . Plans to split the remainder of NS met with limited success due to trade union opposition; the new companies created were NS Reizigers and locomotive maintenance company NedTrain . Passenger transport was to be conducted on a commercial basis, but the state continued to subsidize non-viable routes. Internally, route managers assumed de facto control, but they were dependent on

3249-499: Was to be adapted and seven additional stops added. For Leiden, the plan was to have new track through the centre (Breestraat) at street level (alternatives that were proposed were around the centre on existing track, or in a tunnel through the centre). The province of South Holland was in favour of this, but based on a referendum in March 2007 among the Leiden population, the municipality was against it. The province threatened to force

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