Nederlandse Spoorwegen facts for kids

Nederlandse Spoorwegen

Railway tracks in the Netherlands
Double decker (DDZ) train near Gouda, South Holland
Overview
Locale	Netherlands
Dates of operation	1938–present
Predecessor	Hollandsche IJzeren Spoorweg-Maatschappij (HSM) Maatschappij tot Exploitatie van Staatsspoorwegen (SS)
Technical
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge

Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS), also known as "Dutch Railways," is the main company for passenger trains in the Netherlands. It is owned by the Dutch government and started in 1938. The train network in the Netherlands is one of the busiest in the world!

A different company called ProRail takes care of the train tracks. NS focuses on carrying passengers. Every day, NS runs about 4,800 trains and serves over 1.1 million people. NS also has international train services that connect the Netherlands to other countries in Europe. They even run some train services in other countries through their company Abellio.

The History of NS Trains

How NS Started

The Hoofdgebouw I (Main Building I) complex in Utrecht, a former NS headquarters.

After World War I, two big Dutch railway companies, HSM and SS, faced financial trouble. To avoid going bankrupt, they decided to work together. The government helped by buying shares in both companies. In 1938, the government bought all the remaining shares and combined the companies to create NS.

NS During World War II

During World War II, NS was forced by the Germans to build train lines to a transit camp called Westerbork transit camp. They also had to transport many people to other camps. NS went on strike only once during the war, during a severe famine in 1944–45.

After the War and Changes

After the war, NS was very important for helping the Netherlands rebuild. Trains were the main way to move goods and people. In the 1960s, NS started losing money because more people used cars and other ways to travel. Also, coal transport became less profitable.

NS tried to fix this with a plan called Spoorslag '70. This plan added more train services and started intercity trains, which travel faster between big cities. Even with these changes, NS still lost money. Because it was so important for the country, the government started giving NS money to help it run.

Big Changes and New Directions

Protests against new government policies in 1983.

In the 1980s and 1990s, NS went through big changes. New rules said that train tracks and train services should be managed separately. This meant NS had to become more independent from the government.

The part of NS that managed tracks became a separate company called NS Railinfratrust. Other parts of NS were also split up, like NS Reizigers (for passengers) and NedTrain (for train maintenance). The freight (cargo) part of NS, called NS Cargo, joined with a German company to become DB Cargo.

After these changes, train services sometimes got worse, and there were even strikes. Because of these problems, the entire board of directors (the people in charge) resigned in 2001.

A new leader, Karel Noordzij, took over in 2002. He changed things back to make the company better. The government decided it was best for NS to run the main train lines. NS received a special agreement to run these main routes until 2025.

NS Today

Current NS headquarters in Utrecht.

In 2006, NS changed its timetable to make it easier for trains to connect with international services. As of 2022, the CEO of NS is Wouter Koolmees.

The COVID-19 pandemic greatly affected NS. Fewer people traveled, so NS received a lot of money from the government to stay open. In 2022, NS had to run fewer and shorter trains because there weren't enough staff.

Where NS Trains Go

Top three busiest railway stations in the Netherlands

Utrecht Centraal

Amsterdam Centraal

Rotterdam Centraal

NS trains cover most of the Netherlands. Almost all cities are connected. Many cities have trains every half hour or more often. The five biggest cities (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, and Eindhoven) have at least four trains per hour.

Trains usually run from 5:00 AM to 1:00 AM. There's also a special night train service that connects major cities in the Randstad area (the busiest part of the Netherlands) all night long, especially on weekends.

NS also works with other companies for international travel. For example, they partner with KLM for services on the new high-speed line (HSL-Zuid) to Breda and Brussels. NS International also runs trains like Thalys to France and Intercity-Express (ICE) to Germany and Switzerland.

The Main Rail Network

NS trains at Arnhem Centraal.

The hoofdrailnet is the main passenger train network in the Netherlands. NS has an agreement to run all passenger services on this network until January 1, 2025. On some parts of the network, other train companies also operate, but they don't directly compete with NS on the same lines.

The agreement for NS to run these services was free until 2009. Now, it costs NS money, reaching €30 million in 2014. The agreement also sets rules for how often trains must run. For example, main stations must have trains at least twice an hour from 6 AM to midnight. Smaller stations must have trains at least once an hour.

For the next agreement period (2025–2035), there are new rules. For example, trains on longer journeys must have toilets. By 2025, every train on the main network must have a toilet.

Types of Train Services

NS offers three main types of train services:

• Sprinter: These trains stop at every station. They are mostly used for shorter trips within local areas. On some smaller lines, the Sprinter is the only train service available.
• Intercity: These trains only stop at larger stations. They were started in the 1970s to provide fast connections across the country. Intercity trains are operated by different types of trains like DDZ, VIRM, and ICM. An exception is the service between The Hague and Eindhoven, which uses a high-speed line. If a line doesn't have Sprinters, Intercity trains will stop at all stations on that line.
• Intercity Direct: This service offers even faster travel between Amsterdam Centraal and Breda. It uses the high-speed line HSL-Zuid and stops at only two stations in between: Schiphol Airport and Rotterdam Centraal. For this faster service, you usually need to pay a small extra fee on top of your regular ticket if you travel on the high-speed part of the line.

There are also two older types of train services that are now mostly used by other private train companies:

• Stoptrein (Stopping train): This was the original name for Sprinter trains. NS stopped using this name in 2013, but other companies still use it.
• Sneltrein (Fast train): NS stopped using this name in 2008. These services were either changed into Intercity trains or Sprinters. Other private companies still use this term.

Tickets and Fares

A NS Dagretour (one-time chip card) ticket.

You can pay for your train journey in the Netherlands using contactless payments, just like you might pay for things in a shop! You can use your smartphone or bank card on all Dutch public transport, including trains, metros, trams, and buses. You travel second class at the normal price. You don't need an app or a special ticket.

To use contactless payment:

• At the start of your trip, tap your smartphone or bank card on the reader to "check-in."
• At the end of your trip, or if you switch trains, tap again to "check-out."
• Make sure to take your bank card out of your wallet when you tap, so the system reads the correct card.

The cost of your journey will appear on your bank statement the next day. You can also find your travel details online using a special code.

The OV-chipkaart is another common way to pay for public transport. If you travel sometimes or are a tourist, you can buy single or return tickets at machines or counters. These tickets are for one-time use and cost a little extra. You can also buy e-tickets online.

An NS ticket and supplement for a trip from Amsterdam to Rotterdam.

When you use these cards or tickets, you must "check-in" at the start of your journey and "check-out" at your destination. This tells the system where you started and ended your trip.

It's important to know that other companies also run trains in the Netherlands. If you switch from an NS train to a train run by another company (like Keolis Nederland or Arriva), you need to check out with NS and then check in with the new company at the station. All these companies use a common pricing system.

Off-Peak Discounts

NS offers discounts during "off-peak" hours. These are weekdays from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM and from 6:30 PM to 6:30 AM the next morning. All day on Saturdays and Sundays is also considered off-peak. This means you pay the full price only on weekdays between 6:30 AM and 9:00 AM, and between 4:00 PM and 6:30 PM. If you have a special OV-chipkaart that gives you a discount, it will automatically apply when you check-in during off-peak hours.

NS Logo

The NS logo at Maastricht station in 2010.

The NS logo was created in 1968. It's a very common sight on trains and at train stations in the Netherlands. The logo is usually blue or black on a yellow or white background. NS trains themselves are often painted in this same distinct yellow or white color.

The logo looks like a wide letter 'N' and a sideways, reversed 'S'. The two arrows in the logo show the train's movement, and the two lines in the middle represent the train tracks.

Parts of NS

NS is a big company with different parts that do different jobs:

• Abellio: This part of NS handles train operations outside the Netherlands. Abellio has won contracts to run train services in the United Kingdom and Germany.
• NS Reizigers (NSR): This is the main part that runs passenger train services. It also employs the train drivers and conductors.
• NS Stations: This part manages all 404 train stations in the Netherlands, even those used by other train companies. They also develop areas around stations, like public spaces and offices.
• NedTrain: This division is in charge of maintaining and repairing the trains.
• NS Commercie: This team focuses on products, marketing, sales, and customer service.
• NS International: This part works with foreign partners to run international trains like Thalys (to Paris), ICE (to Cologne and Frankfurt), and Intercity Direct (to Brussels).

Even though NS has these different parts, when people talk about the company, they usually just say "Nederlandse Spoorwegen" or "NS."

Rules and Services

Delay Refunds

If your train journey is delayed by 30 minutes or more, you might get some money back for your ticket. If the delay is over an hour, you could get the full ticket price back. This rule doesn't apply to very short trips or if the delay was announced days in advance. This refund is not for your lost time, but rather a way to reduce the cost when the service wasn't good.

Smoking Rules

Smoking is not allowed on NS trains or in stations. Smoking on trains has been banned since 2004. In October 2020, smoking was also completely banned in all parts of train stations.

On-Board Services

Since 2003, you can't buy coffee, snacks, or sandwiches on most domestic trains. This is because there are many shops at train stations, and most train journeys in the Netherlands are quite short. However, a limited service for drinks and small snacks has been brought back on some longer journeys.

Train Staff Technology

Train conductors use smartphones that have timetables and fare information. They also have a special card reader to check OV-chipkaart tickets. Train drivers use a tablet with an app called "TimTim." This app helps them save energy and stay on schedule. It also lets them see where other trains are on the tracks.

Train Travel Facts

In 2018, the number of people traveling by NS trains increased by almost 3 percent. On average, 1.3 million people took the train on a weekday. This was 100,000 more than in 2016! The more than 250 NS train stations are becoming busier and busier.

Here are the 15 busiest train stations in the Netherlands by the number of travelers each weekday in 2019:

Station	Province	Daily travelers 2019
Utrecht Centraal	Utrecht	207,400
Amsterdam Centraal	North Holland	199,500
Rotterdam Centraal	South Holland	101,700
Den Haag Centraal	South Holland	98,800
Schiphol Airport	North Holland	98,000
Leiden Centraal	South Holland	82,700
Amsterdam Zuid	North Holland	68,700
Eindhoven Centraal	North Brabant	68,200
Amsterdam Sloterdijk	North Holland	50,500
's Hertogenbosch	North Brabant	49,800
Nijmegen	Gelderland	47,500
Arnhem Centraal	Gelderland	45,700
Amersfoort Centraal	Utrecht	44,800
Haarlem	North Holland	43,800
Zwolle	Overijssel	42,100

Images for kids

• 

  Merseyrail Class 508 at Ellesmere Port in June 2012

• 

  Abellio Greater Anglia Class 90 at Stratford in October 2014

• 

  NS International ICE 3 in June 2014

See Also