Nederlandse Spoorwegen
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Nederlandse Spoorwegen or NS (Dutch railways) is the main public transport railway company in the Netherlands. It uses the tracks and other railway network infrastructure supplied by ProRail, which used to be part of the NS as well.
The Dutch railway system is said to be the most crowded network in Europe. In fact, the Dutch railway system is said to be the 3rd most crowded network in the world. The NS therefore announced that all railway traffic will be rerouted in a more efficient way starting in December 2006 to prevent the network from becoming dangerously overcrowded and to increase punctuality.[citation needed]
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[edit] Coverage
Coverage throughout the country is excellent with almost all cities connected, with a service frequency of two trains an hour or more in most of the country (and at least four trains per hour between all of the largest 4 cities: Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht). "Train Routes in the Netherlands" shows all the routes of the Dutch Railways and the NS and the private companies. Trains usually run between 6:00 am and midnight, although there is also a night line which connects the Randstad throughout the night.
In addition to its domestic services, NS is also a partner (along with Stena Line and 'one') in the Dutchflyer service.
[edit] Commercial transport types
There are two kinds of passenger trains:
- A 'stoptrein' (literally: "train which stops," that is, a local train) 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 Randstad. The Sprinter is the equivalent to the Swiss RegioExpress. Currently it is usually called 'Sprinter' because it usually uses the 'Sprinter' (2800 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).
- 'Intercities' 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.
Before 10 December 2006 there was an intermediate type called 'Sneltrein' which was actually a kind of 'Intercity' train. (There are actually still some 'Sneltreinen' left; most of them will be become Intercity trains with the completion of the HSL Zuid.) On that date 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.
The majority of the lines are electrified, all at 1500V DC. The HSL Zuid (between Hoofddorp and Belgian border) and Betuweroute (between Zevenaar and Rotterdam) will be electrified at 25kV 50 Hz AC.
The company was privatized in 1995. It lost ownership and maintenance of the railway network.
NS shares a common tariff system with the four smaller passenger train operating companies— (Syntus and Connexxion in the east, Veolia on the 'Maaslijn' in the south east, Arriva up north and on the 'lingelijn' from Dordrecht to Geldermalsen) in the country.
The NS is encouraging people to buy their domestic tickets at ticket machines. They are still available at counters (which they want to develop into service centres) at bigger stations for a supplement of € 0.50 per ticket (with a maximum of € 1 per occasion) since June 2004. As of 1 October, 2005, no tickets will be sold on the train and any traveler without a valid ticket will be fined €35 plus the fare.
[edit] Divisions of NS
- NS Reizigers (NSR) - NS Travellers, responsible for passenger train services and for employing train drivers and conductors.
- 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.
- NedTrain - train maintenance.
- NS Vastgoed - owns 48 km² of land, often near stations, and develops and operates these areas as public traffic nodes, offices and apartments.
- NS Commercie - product- and customer management (marketing, sales and customer service).
- NS Internationaal - operator, in conjunction with NS Reizigers and foreign partners, of international trains such as the high speed Thalys (from Amsterdam to Paris and ICE (to the German Ruhr area), the Swiss CityNightLine, (based in Zurich) travels to Munich and Zurich, and charter trains). (Night trains from Holland to Berlin or Paris no longer travel.
- Nedkoleje - in a joint venture with Polish Railways (PKP), operates trains in West Pomeranian Voivodship (Zachodniopomorskie), Poland.
- NedRailways - in a joint-venture with Serco, runs Merseyrail services in and around Liverpool, UK and Northern Rail in the north of England.
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 for the provision of bus services to replace train services in the case of planned and unplanned cancellations.
[edit] 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. The costs to NS of this scheme are kept manageable by providing a rather bureaucratic claim system: many do not claim because the system is perceived as cumbersome.[citation needed] Part of the cost of the scheme is paid by ProRail, since they are responsible for part of the delays.
Since January 1, 2004 tobacco smoking has been forbidden on domestic trains, station halls and covered parts of platforms. The smoking of cannabis was already forbidden, 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), poles with an ash-tray built in, seemingly randomly scattered around stations.
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 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.
[edit] Technological Assistance for Train Staff
Conductors have a small computer called Railpocket with timetable and fares information. The latest version is the HP iPaq h4350 Pocket PC, which can communicate through Bluetooth with their new Sony Ericsson T610 GPRS-telephone.
[edit] Statistics
- 14.73 billion passenger km per year (2005), which is 30% of the seat km.
[edit] See also
- Locomotives of Nederlandse Spoorwegen
- Rail transport by country
- Railway stations in the Netherlands
- Train routes in the Netherlands
- Trains in the Netherlands
- Transportation in the Netherlands
