As a train driver in the Netherlands its always fun for me to see video's like this. The Dutch system is really good with punctuality, but I guess we are just spoiled. We have the second highest punctuality in Europe (after Switzerland) and even they complain about their own railways :) Trains in the Netherlands that stay within the country are always reservation free. And tickets are not bound by train (except if you take a "PrijsTijd" offer on the NS website. And certain tickets are only valid off-peak.) The trains you were on are of the type VIRM and SNG. The last one being a local train but sometimes used on Intercity routes if there is a rolling stock shortage. The VIRMs are older units originally made for commuter services but converted to Intercity usage. So because of their age they don't have sockets everywhere (they were installed during the refurbishment) but the SNG is pretty new (only 6 years old) so it's much more up to date with the new standards, and has plug sockets and USB everywhere.) This is the first video I saw on my channel because it got bumped up in my reccomended videos list but I absolutely loved it. Good luck with all your travels and maybe I'l see you in a train here in the future :D
I think you mean the DDZ collegue, (V)IRM was always designed to be an intercity train :) mDDM+DDAR sets were commuter trains converted to Intercity (DDZ)
Agreed with being spoiled. I personally have never had train delay that were a issue. Hell, most of the time I don't even look at the clock to see when the train arrives and leaves because it's never a issue. I just find the correct platform and wait . The only issue I have with the trains and this is an issue that happens often enough to be really annoying, is trains not riding between certain stations and having to take busses to get to the next station. Expecting to ride on a fast comfortable train and then instead being stuck on a comparable cramped uncomfortable bus is so frustrating.
Steve: Is worried about missing his connection in Utrecht Also Steve: Is at Maastricht Station well before 14:31 but doesn't take the train to Alkmaar that also goes through Utrecht and that he's allowed to take as Dutch train tickets aren't bound to specific trains, just specific routes (apart from off-peak only tickets) ;)
on average 4 trains are leaving every hour from Utrecht to Schiphol ;) But as you said before a train ticket isn't for a specific train but for the journey..
@@joeyhouben3270 Wasn't raised to six again? I know they lowered it in 2022 after it being 6 in 2021 but they raised it again in 2023 to six Or have they lowered it again?
@@vincentvandenberg1298 Not a lack of money I guess, but shortage of staff. The same reason my route (Enkhuizen - Hoofddorp/Den Haag CS) now only sees an hourly service after 7 o'clock on weekdays and during the weekends, where it used to be a 30-minute service throughout almost the entire day and during weekends.
@@weeardguy Yes, lowered to four per hour except for extra 3 trains per peak per direction (so 9 trains in 1.5 hour), which was actually one the trains that Steve took in this video (specifically train 3256). As per December 2024 it will be raised to 6 trains per hour again on Mondays to Thursdays.
How do you manage to make a fairly mundane train journey so interesting? You really are a natural , I don't think I've seen a single one of your videos that hasn't been thoroughly enjoyable. Cheers
Steve, I was on one of the Silent carriages at rush hour travelling from Hilversum into Amsterdam and the carriage was packed, I could not believe how impeccably the rule was observed for the whole journey, not a peep from anyone! Wouldn't be the same in the UK!!
Steve, your pronunciation of Maastricht, Utrecht and Schiphol is spot on! I'm Dutch, live in the UK and was pleasantly surprised when you spoke. The Scottish language is quite "throaty" just like Dutch. Love the Scottish "twang". Regarding punctuality: it's very rare that trains are late! There's no "leaves on the tracks" nonsense....
Yeah, Gaelic has many vowels that coincide with Dutch vowels, particularly our "ch" and "g" sounds. If anyone can properly pronounce the Dutch language, it's the Welsh, the Irish, and the Scots. 😊
Try to pronounce 's Hertogenbosch. I would love to hear and see that journey. It's a wonderful city as well. And do not forget Haarlem, also beautiful.
It's an Utrecht thing. That train station is usually so busy that if you don't wiggle yourself to the front you won't find a seat in many routes. This is in part because of its central location in the country. It's a true hub for train connections and is usually (except for very local trains) never the first or last stop on a train's journey, causing a lot of seats to be taken before you get on.
Punctuality and Dutch railways must mean the same Steve. When we were there, I asked a member of staff what time our train would be in, he looked at his watch and said "it WILL be here in 50 seconds"! I got the last laugh, it arrived in 40 seconds 😂
The trains are tracked in real-time, there is even a website that shows the exact position of every train in the country as well as ones that go across the border into Belgium and Germany, and the Eurostar line through Antwerp, Brussels, Paris and on to London. So you can always see exactly when your train will arrive, and the electronic displays on the platforms will show if a train is delayed.
@@mauricematla8379 It depends on the route, on some busy tracks there are a lot of delays. The punctuality % is now slightly under 90%, which means that 10% of the trains are delayed more than 5 minutes. It just isnt a problem generally because on those busy tracks there is a train every 5-10 minutes in the direction youre going so you will never have very long delays unless there is a mechanical or electronic issue on the track.
The big problem with the Dutch network is that when things work, they work very well, but when they start falling apart, everything is so tightly coupled, the effect ripples through. A switch issue in Utrecht will eventually mean trains all over the country are delayed and any route that avoids Utrecht is overcrowded.
This high amount of punctuality is actually quite normal in the Netherlands. Many Dutchies like to complain about their train being late. But if you take the train regularly, you will realize that delays are actually very rare to see. Especially with those cross platform connections like you had. They are planned to connect like this. Even if your train is a few minutes late, there's still a high chance that you'll make your connection.
One of the big advantages of double deckers is they need far less platform length for the same amount of passengers. This not only helps spatial planning in a densily populated country, it also allows for 5 minute connection times.
1. I have never heard about spatial planning being a consideration. See the new ICNG which isn’t a double decker. 2. From double decker trains it takes more time to leave the trains. In theory, that makes a larger connection time necessary.
@@lvovodessa I have, but if you get out at the end of one of these long platforms you don't make it to any other platform within 5 minutes without running. The busy connections are often at both sides of the same platform. It hardly takes more time to get off a double decker because most people who have a connetction to make will stand near the door. I don't know what the plan is with the new trains and how this is calculated. But platform space was a main ocnsideration for the double deckers.
@@DenUitvreter the double deckers are great trains if you have no luggage - they are terrible if you do or need assistance to get on and off the train. I thought the tunnels on the HSL-Zuid are built to a spec which doesn't include the height of double-decker so ICNG had to be a single decked train and they are accessible.
The train you ask about at 13:38 is called a Koploper. In my opinion one of the most iconic train designs. They are old but have refurbished interiors.
I’ve traveled to Holland for over 30 years and I can assure you Steve, there’s two things you can count on while using Dutch rail, the punctuality of the trains and the politeness of the staff that crew them. Happy trails!
When I lived there, I could catch a bus to the ferry (Schelde, now a tunnel) and a bus on the other side to the railway station. All the timetables were integrated. As the bus arrived at the ferry, the boat would be waiting, and another bus waiting when the ferry docked. The train would arrive withing 5 minutes of the bus arriving. Public transport in the Netherlands is seamless. 👍
The first time I traveled to the UK, I was baffled that seamless public transport isn't obvious. The bus station and the railway station may be at different parts of a city. Bus routes may end in the town centre, half a mile shy of the railway station. Trains and buses don't run on the same minute of the hour every hour. Trains may not even run every hour at all, let alone every half hour or even more frequent. Which may seem normal from somewhere else, but for me it was a bit of an eye opener. It made me appreciate our system and realise we shouldn't take things for granted. Except it has become quite expensive, but that wouldn't be unique for the Netherlands, would it.
I manage a bus depot and I've always wondered how to make that work for anything other than very frequent services. Most of ours are out of town with frequencies of half hourly or hourly. Do we get the bus to arrive at the station before the train leaves- suiting those going from bus to train, or do we have it arriving after the train for those changing from train to bus? Or do we have the other passengers (99% are NOT changing to train) wait 10 minutes for the odd one or two that are. This is even more of a dilemma to decide whether it's the bus coming from A to B that does this or from B to A. Of course town services that run every 5, 10, 15 minutes is different- but they already integrate with trains in just about every Country I've been to anyway. So what is your suggestion? (a genuine question btw)
@@DdW85 I have worked in public transport for over 1/4 Century, so let me try and help explain some of your points. In UK buses tend to go into town centres because historically that is where people wanted to go. As the first Country in the World to develop a rail network, those companies building the lines would put them where the topography was suitable- remember that initially they were for freight, not passengers. As towns have expanded over the years, they have often encroached on the once-rural stations, but these may not be in the centre of town. Remember that UK is generally far more hilly than Netherlands. There have been attempts by the "Europe does it this way so we must too" types to change bus stations to the railway, but as I noted 99% of bus passengers in UK aren't going to catch a train and they are very unhappy when people try this. Now about co-ordinating bus and train times. For town services that operate every 5, 10, 15 minutes this already happens and why people have the pre-conceived idea it doesn't, I'll never know. For less frequent services of every 30 minutes or hourly- those routes which aren't too busy- supposing you time your bus to arrive at the station at 11:55 so passengers can catch the train at 12:00... You must now wait until 12:05 for those who are coming from the train to catch the bus- 10 minutes is a long time to ask 99% of your passengers to wait at the station for the other 1%. But then do I set my times to match the London to Manchester train times? Or the Manchester to London? Or the London to Glasgow? Or Edinburgh to London? I have been to the Netherlands many times and its public transport system is very, very good and we in the UK could learn from it. But like UK, not all of your bus services are ultra frequent and the less frequent services have the same problems as ours. The difference is that you have much better advertising how to do what I've just outlined.
Your trip has sparked many memories for me. I recall a pre-internet time when you could arrive in a Dutch city and go to the VVV kiosk at the main railway station to book a hotel room. You specified a price range (e.g. 2 star or 3 star) and they would ring a hotel in that class; if the price was right, they would make the booking for you and give you a voucher with the hotel name and address. Very easy, even at busy times - as long as you did it during the afternoon.
If you ever visit 's-Hertogenbosch, there is a lot to see. But don't skip the boat tour over the Binnen-Dieze, it's a delight and a new perspective on the city!
@@steve-marsh the boat tours on the Binnen-Dieze are popular, you'll have to book in advance to make sure you can get on a tour. Also, climbing the St. Jan Cathedral will give you beautiful views of the city! 's-Hertogenbosch is the city where I was born and raised, I haven't lived there for decades but still have close family there and visit regularly. I'd love to see your experience of the city 😃
s'Hertogenbosch (Den Bosch) is the town where *JHERONYMUS BOSCH* painted during all his life in the 15th century. Whether you're into art or no : Look him up and you'll understand why he is one of the very great masters in the history of netherlandish art ! ❤ love your channel !!
That's a "Koploper" Intercity locomotive. The train received the nickname Koploper, because it had a so-called "walk through head". The passage ways have been removed since a modernization in the 2000s.
In these few dutch videos you impressed me with your pronunciation of dutch words and places. Especially 'Schiphol' was pretty good. I've heard a lot of english speaking people struggle with that one. And about your comment on 's-Hertogenbosch. You're right, you should go there. It is a bit like Maastricht: a (smaller) city with a nice old centre and not too busy with tourists. I could also recommend towns like Zwolle, Amersfoort, Deventer, Zutphen, Leeuwarden and Breda for this reason. Loads of other options in the west, but these seem sometimes a bit more busy since they are a lot closer to touristic cities like Amsterdam and Rotterdam. My personal favorite towns are the really small old cities as Gennep, Grave, Heusden and Doesburg. But getting there is a bit harder.
A while back, while on holiday in the Netherlands, I confirmed my return airline booking at the KLM office. I was given an itinerary of a bus, and two trains to Schipol. The times were set up to avoid time wastage to meet the plane. The bus and train journeys were free, it was part of my airline ticket. Very impressive.
I am from Germany but have lived in the Netherlands for 2 years now and I commute daily via train. From Germany I am used to having plans B to F available when going anywhere by train 😅 and it took me a while to trust that a 2min change in the Netherlands is absolutely doable if the NS suggests it. The cross-platform changes, high frequency and generally a really well integrated system makes the commuting (most of the time) a treat.
I remember the first time I visited the Netherlands in the 1970s, I asked for a railway timetable. The person I spoke to smiled and explained that the whole NS system was run like a metro. He gave me a map on which the lines were coded according to the frequency of trains (2, 3 or 4 per hour). I remember the cross-platform interchanges at junction stations like Utrecht that were timed to fit the arrival frequency of the main lines as long as you were travelling in the same direction. In the 80s, when I lived in Eindhoven for a while, the trains were reliable and I never missed a connection.
Another aspect of the "like a metro" thing: if you, for whatever reason, do miss a train - just take the next one. And if there's some problem on the line, take trains around the problem. In illustration of the latter: the other day there was some problems knocking out loads of trains, so I couldn't take my direct from Amsterdam Centraal to Bussum. Fine, I just hopped on the train to Almere, and swapped there to one going to Bussum. Done and home.
@raymondoakford8357 Run by militant unions that give zero thought to customers ? Also the pseudo 'free market' ownership model in UK with multiple train companies ans Network Rail owning ageing infrastructure has not been good for customers ?
My first time catching a train from Schiphol in 2018, I walked down the stairs to the train just as the doors closed so I thought I'd just missed it I'll have to wait for the next train. The person behind me just walked around me and pressed the little green button on the doors & the opened. I followed them in red faced. Had no idea that's how the doors worked. Don't have that in Australia. You learn something new everyday. I love travel.
Only the "sprinters" have this mechanism that automatically closes after its been open for a while! The bigger yellow trains (intercitys as we call them) do indeed close their doors as soon as the whistle has been blown, and these can't be opened again (the only situation in which you actually can open these doors would be if nobody exited the train through those doors when it arrived.)
Hi Steve! those trains with the cab on top we colloquially call "koplopers" or in english "headwalkers", the train model is the Intercity materieel (ICM). The reason they're called "headwalkers" is because you used to be able to walk through the head of the train when they we're connected! Ever since 2005 though these through connections are no longer used, as they weren't often used by passengers and the technical problems often caused delays, so the design is a remnant of the past of these weird looking trains :)
Hey Steve, great to see you in the Netherlands. I spent the last month travelling around Scotland on the trains and I totally understand where you are coming from. The trains are much less frequent. Here there is always a train every 30 minutes or less on each line every day. Amsterdam-Utrecht is the busiest line with trains every 10 minutes. When I travel in the Netherlands, I hardly ever worry about missing a connection. 5 minutes is always enough and if there is a delay, I just take the next one. The Dutch (myself included) tend to complain a lot, but we have just under 92% punctuality at 5 minutes (which is less than the Germans, who count with 15 minutes). If I had a punctual connection like a plane, I'd just count in 30 minutes in advance and you'll always be fine. Anyway, thanks for your visit, I love watching your videos.
The train with the cab on top is called the "Koploper". It is actually a unique design feature, because in the past you could walk through it to get from one train to another. The first units are currently out of service though, as they are over 43 years old.
Hi Steve - Regarding your comment on Alicja’s piano playing, just remember she is probably a member of the Eric Morecambe school of music, where she plays all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order."
“she can’t play the piano, but that never stops her” i almost choked on my lunch watching that…it’s so off-the-cuff yet true that it’s hard not to smile at you used an Automat! it’s rare seeing them, but nice to know that they’re doing well in The Netherlands and that odd Dutch train is an Intercity Materieel, or ICM, basically their version of your intercity trains that are all but retired now
Really enjoyed this video, especially as I live in the UK but work in the Netherlands and use the railways all the time to travel around. I have had the fortune to visit many parts and I have been struck by how beautiful the scenery is and towns are. Never had a problem with Dutch railways and would recommend the official app which makes travel so much easier. Thanks Steve, always enjoyed your content
A good channel to follow is Machinist Stefan. He's a Dutch train driver and he's super conscientious about timings so one would think it's quite normal for the trains to be reliable. 😊
The trains with the cab on top are called 'Koploper' (loosely translated: frontrunner). They used to have doors in the front, so that when multiple units were connected, you could walk through the entire lenght of the train. This was especially useful for the food and drinks trolley, but these were discontinued years ago. The doors were also rather maintenance-heavy, so they were removed during the last major overhaul. The doubledeckers used to have little elevators for the trolleys, next to the stairs. They were also removed when the trolleys were discontinued.
In my experience the Dutch trains are decently punctual, as compared to some other countries. But the Dutch expect high standards and will definitely complain that there are too many delays. Now a delay is much less a problem on large parts of the Dutch network with very frequent service. On the Utrecht to Schiphol line for instance there can be up to 4 through trains an hour.
The worst thing is regional lines though. If you have to go to a town like Dalen and you miss the connection in Zwolle due to a very slight delay, you’d have to wait for an hour, seen as the trains between Zwolle and Emmen only stop at Dalen once an hour.
Since 1974 Dutch railways introduced the hourly service and the 15 and 30 minutes services as a standard. Which means that when you miss a connection, you shurely will get a next train 15, 30 or 60 minutes later. So in those times to be sure to get at Schiphol on time, you better take one train before the suggested connection. If it fails, you might get a good change to get there in time. 50 years later the system is based upon platform crossing and only can succeed when if there is a delay, the rest of the network will have to deal with it... A small delay of one or two minutes is not a big problem because the waiting times at stations with this platform crossing function has a 5 minutes stop time. For this reason the total trip time is longer than it used to be! And to prevent delays a lot of trains departure a minute earlier than expected. That is very common in the Netherlands railway system. Traincompanies get a fine when the delays are to big.
the wifi on the train has the timetable and sometimes the connection, plus it has free wifi - it might be slow on a busy train, the dutch system operates a tap-on tap-off system. I travelled around the NL for 10 days in July my OV card was only checked once. The services from Utrecht are really good.
To have a 5 minute connection on trains in the US would be considered absolutely mental. Never would happen. I’m jealous of Dutch and Swiss trains. (Not to mention the comparative density of those train lines.) Beautiful views, especially when paralleling the canal. Thanks for the video. Cheers, and ATB!
@@steve-marshAs a privileged Dutchie I don't blame you Steve 😉 (though, like any country, there are surely downsides here too). Having said that, be assured you will always be most welcome here 👍
What a nice channel to watch. My niece married a Scotsman so our family love the Scots since. They married September 2023 in Sienna, Italy. We flew from Düsseldorf airport, Germany for which we went by train from Amsterdam. Ever since that journey I will never ever complain about the Dutch train service again. Yes, the Dutch know how to whine, but after three German trains to and three German trains back I can tell you the German railway is a disaster. All the German trains we had to have were delayed till severely delayed. We left on time from Amsterdam, but arrived a half an hour too late on our first German station. The connecting train was also delayed for more than half an hour. On the way back the international train from Germany was also delayed. I was able to reach Rotterdam before midnight but many tourists were in that train who had to go farther to Amsterdam still. The Dutch railway is top notch. Love it. You passed stations I frequently see on my way commuting to my office in Amsterdam/ Diemen travelling from Rotterdam (sometimes also via Utrecht depending on the time table). Looking forward to your next vids 👌🏽
An excellent video Steve. It was nice to see such a pristine country side. Everything just how it should be. The railway station looked amazing. The trains were modern, clean and on time. Even the rail corridor looked clean and well maintained. Thanks for sharing.
13:35 The train is called: Koploper. Infront on top is where the machinist (pilot) is seated. Cool side thing, back in the day you could walk from the wagon to wagon. But they discontinued those in the new models unfortunaly
When we have half an hour to spare we both say 'What would Steve do'?'. Of course it may not be practical to take a train to another country and back like Steve would, but at least we now fill the time more productively.
The Dutch railways may not be fast, but I found it an impressively high-performance network. Grade-separated junctions, cross-platform connections, and very high frequencies made it incredibly convenient to use. And an automat restaurant - I've only seen those in 1930s American films!
For one reason or another, those automat restaurants have become an icon for the Netherlands, few food things are as Dutch as a 'kroketje uit de muur'. To be fair, they have better food than this, but it is quite convenient.
@@barvdwthe big issue I have with the coverage is that Steve went for Smulers and not FEBO. That's basically like going to Pret or perhaps even Subway instead of Gregg's...
They were apparently a German invention that got big in New York in the early 20th century but died out about halfway through. We here in the Netherlands picked them up around that time, and now they're an absolute staple
The train is called Koploper (Head runner) (with the raised cabin) as a kid we always called them Hondenkop (Dog's Head) but that was a misunderstanding I learned later, the hondenkop is an older train that went out of service in the 80s.
There was a brief collaboration with the Japanese Railways. The Dutch Railways are good at using train equipment efficiently. Due to the aging population in some Japanese regions, the number of train passengers is declining sharply. Japanese Railways is good in terms of punctuality. The busy railway lines around Tokyo were used as an example for the entire Dutch busy train network. The Japanese and Dutch railways shared knowledge to improve their railways.
Hi Steve, No, that punctuality is normal for Dutch Railways, especially on their InterCity routes. That train you liked the look of is called an ICM or Inter City Materieel or "koploper" which translates to "walk through head" - it has big doors below the cab to allow more coaches to be added, and for train splitting. Thank you for another interesting vlog, it brought back happy memories of my time in the Netherlands.
Thank you for this nice video! Let's start out with a fun fact: the intercity train which you took (from Maastricht to Den Helder) is the longest service in the Netherlands, taking 3 hours and 44 minutes! The cross platform at Utrecht are always really nice, i've had plenty of 2-3 minute transfers and never missed one. One time when my first train was delayed, the staff of the second train even waited an extra minute, so everyone could make their connection. So it was quite funny to see you stressing about a 5 minute connection. But sadly not all cross platform connections are perfect. As an example: the transfer from Schiphol to Den Helder at Zaandam. During rush hour, the train from schiphol was delayed by 1-3 minutes pretty much every day. This turnedmy 2 minute transfer into a < 30sec transfer. Whille the 30 second transfer is still easily possible, I also saw my second train departing just as we were coming to a stop plenty of time.
I love your positive attitude and how you make the best of any adversity, like a change of plans. It's admirable how you don't comment negatively on something you may not have liked, like the hamburger from the vending machine, or the fact that it was hot on the train. You're the kind of person I would like to know! Love the videos!
Brilliant content as usual . Those stations look so clean and well organised . The Netherlands in a country I'd love to go back to. Thanks Steve . Thoroughly enjoyed watching
I worked in Den Helder for 6 months on a 3 week on 3 week off rotation. My company used to fly me from Inverness to Schiphol then get the train up to Den Helder. There is a large maritime museum in Den Helder as its home to their navy, but never got the chance to see it, despite our vessel being docked next to it. We were lucky as we had 7 bikes kept on our vessel which we could use when off shift and explore Den Helder
Having spent three years in the Netherlands your whole trip has been wonderful, for your presentation (as ever) and the memories of visiting some of where you travelled, not least Maastricht that is a real gem of a place to be. Many thanks Steve.
Great video. I love Dutch trains. The Dutch seem not to be so bothered by privacy issues as some other countries are. There are some excellent Dutch rail channels (Cabview Holland, Machinist Stefan) who simply add notices to their videos asking folk who don't wish to be seen to write in, and their faces will be pixellated out of their videos. Google Maps' street view mode is very different in the Netherlands and Germany. The latter country seems to be much more security-conscious.
@rosemarymee Are you? Unfortunately, it's becoming less and less common. I live in one of the border villages, and we do have many Belgians living here. They don't understand the "openness concept," and they cover every window almost 24/7. It's remarkable how different we are, even though we were never far apart from each other anyway. Adopting different cultures isn't one of their strongest qualities. 😂
@@viderethevaccinatorfromhol7536 I think the open windows thing is from the Dutch Protestant (Lutheran) religion, whereas the Belgians are mostly Catholic.
Dear Steve, you're always welcome in the Netherlands. If you're once again in the Netherlands, I'll be happy to guide you through 's-Hertogenbosch. It is a city with a very rich history. This is the city with the beautiful station. I work in 's-Hertogenbosch and you there's so much to discover about the city.
Another fascinating video, Steve. Maastricht is certainly a lovely city. On the journey north, I just loved seeing those huge canal barges ploughing their way along.
Of course you’ll catch your flight. Most of the time they run on time, great system and nice network. The train you’ve spotted was the Koploper, train from the late seventies, but still very comfortable. When new you were able to walk through the head of the train to the one connected, also during the ride. Thanks, for loving Holland 👍🏻
@@hisk7263Fair point, it’s funny Maastricht didn’t look a big city, it looked like a quaint wee town. I’m thinking more of Amsterdam and Rotterdam but I stand corrected if they are the same as Maastricht for cleanliness.
@@kaycee625they are the same for cleanliness, your just don't see it because of all the people running around. Maastricht is indeed not very big. Utrecht is the 4th biggest city in the Netherlands though and the biggest and most used station.
Well Steve from my experience of Netherlands train travel way back in the early 2000's their punctuality is always very good. I travelled from Schiphol to Den Helder for a work assignment and had never been on trains there before but they arrived at every stop bang on time all the way there and it was just as punctual when I travelled back a week later. They were also better maintained and cleaner than UK trains I'd say.
Still at the start of the video, but I'm assuming it's a switch on the same platform in Utrecht. :p Also, I don't think there's any limitation on which train you take with your ticket, as long as it is a reasonable route in the same class. Edit: I was indeed correct. The train with the cab on top is called "Koploper" btw (or ICM). Your second train was a Sprinter, which is usually used for local routes with a stop at each station, probably due to a lack of material or something like that. Seeing no staff at all is very common here in my experience. It's usually not too bad here with delays and cancellations, although we do still often love to complain about any sort of delay, even when the next train goes within 10 or 15 minutes! We also don't have any seat reservations on our train, nor do we have any sort of dynamic pricing. If you do visit the Netherlands gain, 's Hertogenbosch could be interesting, or Nijmegen which is the oldest city in our country.
I've only travelled on the Dutch railways twice. Ironically, from Schiphol to Maastricht and a few days later, Maastricht to Schiphol. This was in 2015, and it was one of those high cab trains. They were punctual then, too. The one thing we had to watch on the way down is that at Utrecht, the train was split into two. Half went to Maastricht and half went elsewhere (I forget where). Get into the wrong half and you wouldn't arrive where you thought. On the way home, I was worried. I got to the station for the train I'd booked the ticket, only to find that there were track works, I think somewhere between Utrecht and Schiphol resulting in our train being rerouted via Rotterdam. We only made our flight back to Scotland by minutes.
Nice video again Steve. Particularly liked the pro insertion of suitable backing-track and the way Netherlands' canals fill up to the brim highlighting the lowness of the country. Awrah best.
Have you done any videos in Cornwall Steve? It might be a cool place for you and Alicja to do a video as Cornwall has its own unique Celtic/Briton culture, language, heritage and lovely landscapes and coastlines of course 👍
Enjoyable vlog Steve chap…👌👌 Maastricht train station looks beautiful….I’ve used those double decker trains when I was in Australia number of years ago.👍👍
Thanks Steve for another great bonus video of what looks like a wonderful country with trains that are punctual!! Also love that you always give us so much info even down to what Rivers you maybe crossing it just makes everything gel together 👍
Love your videos Steve and hopefully you get to see more of Utrecht one day. I did a uni exchange from Australia in Utrecht in 2005 and it's a fantastic little city to explore with cool canals and the Dom Tower.
13:40 the famous Dutch "Koploper" or translated: Headwalker, they used to have these doors in the front beneath the cabin. When sets were coupled, you were able to walk directly from one set to another via these doors. As a dutch train enthousiast, these are my favourite NS trains. And they are surely worth trying because unfortunately, they will be withdrawn in the upcoming years.
The train at 13:33 is called a ‘Koploper’ (head walker) because they had sliding doors at the front so people could walk through them from one train set to the next. When they were refurbished the sliding doors were removed and you can no longer walk through.
I have traveled quite a bit by train in the Netherlands and not once do I recall any train being late or delayed. Bang on time every time and also very reasonable cost wise. A great way of getting around the country.
The Train with the cab on top are often callee "koplopers" meaning "fromt runners" or "head walkers" They're officially called "ICM" standing for "InterCity Materieel", Materieel meaning "Material"
If I am not mistaken you could have changed trains in Eindhoven as well with a lot more time to spare and it is on the same platform as well. And if you miss your connection there will be a next train in 10-15 minutes. Maastricht is an endstation for the intercity, so it will stay there a bit longer to be cleaned and if the train is late, it will still leave on time on the way back.
1:45 Cats and dogs play the piano. Elephants can paint your or my portrait. Let us begin: "My delightful friend can play the piano, my delightful friend can play the piano etc". Repeat until the words are as natural as breathing, or until you feel your debt of silliness (dare I say insensitive stupidity) is paid in full Steve. Love your work brother.
3:52 The signal box was designed by architect Sybold van Ravesteyn in 1932 and is now _rijksmonument_ 46783, the Dutch equivalent of a listed building.
I think the most fun thing about this video is that you were stressed about not making the connection at Utrecht Centraal. But you took so much time wondering around at Maastricht that in the meantime i think you could have cached 3 or 4 trains earlier to Utrecht Centraal then the one you got.😅
The Dutch railway system - NS - is a thing of beauty. I'm from Hull, been living here some time (Rotterdam), and I barely use my car if I'm going any distance. I have what's known as the OV-Chipkaart, which gets me a significant discount over the NS network. You even managed a Smuller kipburger - a guilty pleasure every time I travel. Last time was last Thursday; Rotterdam Centraal to Schiphol for my flight to Luton. Some Dutch stations are stunning. Maastricht is beautiful. Utrecht, as you might not've seen, is uber-modern. As is Rotterdam CS. Haarlem smacks of an old-fashioned British station. Be careful with the silent coaches though. I travelled to Hamburg via Apeldoorn and didn't realise I was in the the silent coach. Had to take a work call, got the back of my seat kicked by a (tall) disgruntled passenger.
As a train driver in the Netherlands its always fun for me to see video's like this.
The Dutch system is really good with punctuality, but I guess we are just spoiled. We have the second highest punctuality in Europe (after Switzerland) and even they complain about their own railways :)
Trains in the Netherlands that stay within the country are always reservation free. And tickets are not bound by train (except if you take a "PrijsTijd" offer on the NS website. And certain tickets are only valid off-peak.)
The trains you were on are of the type VIRM and SNG. The last one being a local train but sometimes used on Intercity routes if there is a rolling stock shortage. The VIRMs are older units originally made for commuter services but converted to Intercity usage. So because of their age they don't have sockets everywhere (they were installed during the refurbishment) but the SNG is pretty new (only 6 years old) so it's much more up to date with the new standards, and has plug sockets and USB everywhere.)
This is the first video I saw on my channel because it got bumped up in my reccomended videos list but I absolutely loved it.
Good luck with all your travels and maybe I'l see you in a train here in the future :D
Thanks so much for this comment :)
If I’m not mistaken the train you pointed out in the station, with the bump….is called a “koploper”.
I think you mean the DDZ collegue, (V)IRM was always designed to be an intercity train :)
mDDM+DDAR sets were commuter trains converted to Intercity (DDZ)
Valt heel erg mee. Er zijn nog altijd heel veel vertragingen
Agreed with being spoiled. I personally have never had train delay that were a issue. Hell, most of the time I don't even look at the clock to see when the train arrives and leaves because it's never a issue. I just find the correct platform and wait .
The only issue I have with the trains and this is an issue that happens often enough to be really annoying, is trains not riding between certain stations and having to take busses to get to the next station. Expecting to ride on a fast comfortable train and then instead being stuck on a comparable cramped uncomfortable bus is so frustrating.
Steve: Is worried about missing his connection in Utrecht
Also Steve: Is at Maastricht Station well before 14:31 but doesn't take the train to Alkmaar that also goes through Utrecht and that he's allowed to take as Dutch train tickets aren't bound to specific trains, just specific routes (apart from off-peak only tickets) ;)
on average 4 trains are leaving every hour from Utrecht to Schiphol ;)
But as you said before a train ticket isn't for a specific train but for the journey..
@@joeyhouben3270 Wasn't raised to six again? I know they lowered it in 2022 after it being 6 in 2021 but they raised it again in 2023 to six Or have they lowered it again?
Lowered back to 4 due to lack of money
@@vincentvandenberg1298 Not a lack of money I guess, but shortage of staff. The same reason my route (Enkhuizen - Hoofddorp/Den Haag CS) now only sees an hourly service after 7 o'clock on weekdays and during the weekends, where it used to be a 30-minute service throughout almost the entire day and during weekends.
@@weeardguy Yes, lowered to four per hour except for extra 3 trains per peak per direction (so 9 trains in 1.5 hour), which was actually one the trains that Steve took in this video (specifically train 3256). As per December 2024 it will be raised to 6 trains per hour again on Mondays to Thursdays.
How do you manage to make a fairly mundane train journey so interesting? You really are a natural , I don't think I've seen a single one of your videos that hasn't been thoroughly enjoyable. Cheers
Hey thanks so much!
Couldn't have put it better myself !
Personality, honesty, talent!
It is reflecting his interest.
Steve, I was on one of the Silent carriages at rush hour travelling from Hilversum into Amsterdam and the carriage was packed, I could not believe how impeccably the rule was observed for the whole journey, not a peep from anyone! Wouldn't be the same in the UK!!
One of the best things about your videos is just how curious and positive you are encountering other places and people.
Steve, your pronunciation of Maastricht, Utrecht and Schiphol is spot on! I'm Dutch, live in the UK and was pleasantly surprised when you spoke. The Scottish language is quite "throaty" just like Dutch.
Love the Scottish "twang".
Regarding punctuality: it's very rare that trains are late! There's no "leaves on the tracks" nonsense....
Thanks Linda!
Yeah, Gaelic has many vowels that coincide with Dutch vowels, particularly our "ch" and "g" sounds. If anyone can properly pronounce the Dutch language, it's the Welsh, the Irish, and the Scots. 😊
Try to pronounce
's Hertogenbosch. I would love to hear and see that journey. It's a wonderful city as well. And do not forget Haarlem, also beautiful.
@@SonofHendrik City? Yes. People? 🤔 You know what they say. Bloemen houden van mensen, niet van Bosschenaren. 😂 (A joke)
@@GHOST-in-the-MACHINE But people love Bossche Bollen!
Nice to see folk stand right in front of the train doors all over the world. 👍
They must all have very tight connections :D
That was the same in Hong Kong,but they wouldn't let you off.Elbows out and just go.
@@johnmcconville6055i can concur with that, having grown up there. Head down, elbows out and GO!! 😅
Except in Japan.
It's an Utrecht thing. That train station is usually so busy that if you don't wiggle yourself to the front you won't find a seat in many routes. This is in part because of its central location in the country. It's a true hub for train connections and is usually (except for very local trains) never the first or last stop on a train's journey, causing a lot of seats to be taken before you get on.
Punctuality and Dutch railways must mean the same Steve. When we were there, I asked a member of staff what time our train would be in, he looked at his watch and said "it WILL be here in 50 seconds"! I got the last laugh, it arrived in 40 seconds 😂
If you ask the Dutch they are never on time..... When it comes to trains we are spoiled bastards.
The trains are tracked in real-time, there is even a website that shows the exact position of every train in the country as well as ones that go across the border into Belgium and Germany, and the Eurostar line through Antwerp, Brussels, Paris and on to London. So you can always see exactly when your train will arrive, and the electronic displays on the platforms will show if a train is delayed.
@@mauricematla8379 It depends on the route, on some busy tracks there are a lot of delays. The punctuality % is now slightly under 90%, which means that 10% of the trains are delayed more than 5 minutes.
It just isnt a problem generally because on those busy tracks there is a train every 5-10 minutes in the direction youre going so you will never have very long delays unless there is a mechanical or electronic issue on the track.
The big problem with the Dutch network is that when things work, they work very well, but when they start falling apart, everything is so tightly coupled, the effect ripples through. A switch issue in Utrecht will eventually mean trains all over the country are delayed and any route that avoids Utrecht is overcrowded.
@@PeterFabianThe UK system is just like that, except without the bit about things working well
This high amount of punctuality is actually quite normal in the Netherlands. Many Dutchies like to complain about their train being late. But if you take the train regularly, you will realize that delays are actually very rare to see. Especially with those cross platform connections like you had. They are planned to connect like this. Even if your train is a few minutes late, there's still a high chance that you'll make your connection.
Ye, they also tend to wait for a bit if the other train is delayed at important layovers
I almost never see delays. Only cancelations due to accidents/prorail being silly
They're really not rare actually, on some routes they're super common
I take the train every day and I can count on one hand the times that my train has been on time. It's delayed 99,9% of the time pretty much.
I would still take a train early in case of a connecting flight. Its uncommon, but not rare to have delays.
One of the big advantages of double deckers is they need far less platform length for the same amount of passengers. This not only helps spatial planning in a densily populated country, it also allows for 5 minute connection times.
1. I have never heard about spatial planning being a consideration. See the new ICNG which isn’t a double decker.
2. From double decker trains it takes more time to leave the trains. In theory, that makes a larger connection time necessary.
@@lvovodessa I have, but if you get out at the end of one of these long platforms you don't make it to any other platform within 5 minutes without running. The busy connections are often at both sides of the same platform.
It hardly takes more time to get off a double decker because most people who have a connetction to make will stand near the door. I don't know what the plan is with the new trains and how this is calculated. But platform space was a main ocnsideration for the double deckers.
@@DenUitvreter the double deckers are great trains if you have no luggage - they are terrible if you do or need assistance to get on and off the train. I thought the tunnels on the HSL-Zuid are built to a spec which doesn't include the height of double-decker so ICNG had to be a single decked train and they are accessible.
The train you ask about at 13:38 is called a Koploper. In my opinion one of the most iconic train designs. They are old but have refurbished interiors.
the tru name is intercittymateriaal with koploper being the nickname
I’ve traveled to Holland for over 30 years and I can assure you Steve, there’s two things you can count on while using Dutch rail, the punctuality of the trains and the politeness of the staff that crew them.
Happy trails!
When I lived there, I could catch a bus to the ferry (Schelde, now a tunnel) and a bus on the other side to the railway station. All the timetables were integrated. As the bus arrived at the ferry, the boat would be waiting, and another bus waiting when the ferry docked. The train would arrive withing 5 minutes of the bus arriving. Public transport in the Netherlands is seamless. 👍
ah yeah, the better times when public transport operators still cooperated with each other to give passengers a decent timetable.....
The first time I traveled to the UK, I was baffled that seamless public transport isn't obvious. The bus station and the railway station may be at different parts of a city. Bus routes may end in the town centre, half a mile shy of the railway station. Trains and buses don't run on the same minute of the hour every hour. Trains may not even run every hour at all, let alone every half hour or even more frequent. Which may seem normal from somewhere else, but for me it was a bit of an eye opener. It made me appreciate our system and realise we shouldn't take things for granted. Except it has become quite expensive, but that wouldn't be unique for the Netherlands, would it.
I manage a bus depot and I've always wondered how to make that work for anything other than very frequent services. Most of ours are out of town with frequencies of half hourly or hourly. Do we get the bus to arrive at the station before the train leaves- suiting those going from bus to train, or do we have it arriving after the train for those changing from train to bus? Or do we have the other passengers (99% are NOT changing to train) wait 10 minutes for the odd one or two that are.
This is even more of a dilemma to decide whether it's the bus coming from A to B that does this or from B to A.
Of course town services that run every 5, 10, 15 minutes is different- but they already integrate with trains in just about every Country I've been to anyway. So what is your suggestion? (a genuine question btw)
@@DdW85 I have worked in public transport for over 1/4 Century, so let me try and help explain some of your points. In UK buses tend to go into town centres because historically that is where people wanted to go. As the first Country in the World to develop a rail network, those companies building the lines would put them where the topography was suitable- remember that initially they were for freight, not passengers. As towns have expanded over the years, they have often encroached on the once-rural stations, but these may not be in the centre of town. Remember that UK is generally far more hilly than Netherlands. There have been attempts by the "Europe does it this way so we must too" types to change bus stations to the railway, but as I noted 99% of bus passengers in UK aren't going to catch a train and they are very unhappy when people try this.
Now about co-ordinating bus and train times. For town services that operate every 5, 10, 15 minutes this already happens and why people have the pre-conceived idea it doesn't, I'll never know. For less frequent services of every 30 minutes or hourly- those routes which aren't too busy- supposing you time your bus to arrive at the station at 11:55 so passengers can catch the train at 12:00... You must now wait until 12:05 for those who are coming from the train to catch the bus- 10 minutes is a long time to ask 99% of your passengers to wait at the station for the other 1%. But then do I set my times to match the London to Manchester train times? Or the Manchester to London? Or the London to Glasgow? Or Edinburgh to London?
I have been to the Netherlands many times and its public transport system is very, very good and we in the UK could learn from it. But like UK, not all of your bus services are ultra frequent and the less frequent services have the same problems as ours. The difference is that you have much better advertising how to do what I've just outlined.
Public transport is well organised, yet the Dutch are not familiar with the queue... it's every man, woman, child and beast for themselves.
Your trip has sparked many memories for me. I recall a pre-internet time when you could arrive in a Dutch city and go to the VVV kiosk at the main railway station to book a hotel room. You specified a price range (e.g. 2 star or 3 star) and they would ring a hotel in that class; if the price was right, they would make the booking for you and give you a voucher with the hotel name and address. Very easy, even at busy times - as long as you did it during the afternoon.
I remember these days too! Thanks for the comment and the memory :)
If you ever visit 's-Hertogenbosch, there is a lot to see. But don't skip the boat tour over the Binnen-Dieze, it's a delight and a new perspective on the city!
Top tip thanks!
@@steve-marsh the boat tours on the Binnen-Dieze are popular, you'll have to book in advance to make sure you can get on a tour. Also, climbing the St. Jan Cathedral will give you beautiful views of the city! 's-Hertogenbosch is the city where I was born and raised, I haven't lived there for decades but still have close family there and visit regularly. I'd love to see your experience of the city 😃
s'Hertogenbosch (Den Bosch) is the town where
*JHERONYMUS BOSCH* painted during all his life in the 15th century.
Whether you're into art or no :
Look him up and you'll understand why he is one of the very great masters in the history of netherlandish art !
❤ love your channel !!
That's a "Koploper" Intercity locomotive.
The train received the nickname Koploper, because it had a so-called "walk through head".
The passage ways have been removed since a modernization in the 2000s.
Unfortunately they are getting quite old and are due for decommissioning...
Not a locomotive, it's an electric multiple unit.
@@ruawhitepaw in fact, about half of them are already decommissioned.
In (an attempt at) a play of words, it's also a regular Dutch word meaning 'front-runner/leader (in a race).
It's a shame they are being decommissioned, they are still my favourite train for longer distances!
In these few dutch videos you impressed me with your pronunciation of dutch words and places. Especially 'Schiphol' was pretty good. I've heard a lot of english speaking people struggle with that one.
And about your comment on 's-Hertogenbosch. You're right, you should go there. It is a bit like Maastricht: a (smaller) city with a nice old centre and not too busy with tourists.
I could also recommend towns like Zwolle, Amersfoort, Deventer, Zutphen, Leeuwarden and Breda for this reason.
Loads of other options in the west, but these seem sometimes a bit more busy since they are a lot closer to touristic cities like Amsterdam and Rotterdam.
My personal favorite towns are the really small old cities as Gennep, Grave, Heusden and Doesburg. But getting there is a bit harder.
A while back, while on holiday in the Netherlands, I confirmed my return airline booking at the KLM office. I was given an itinerary of a bus, and two trains to Schipol. The times were set up to avoid time wastage to meet the plane. The bus and train journeys were free, it was part of my airline ticket. Very impressive.
I am from Germany but have lived in the Netherlands for 2 years now and I commute daily via train. From Germany I am used to having plans B to F available when going anywhere by train 😅 and it took me a while to trust that a 2min change in the Netherlands is absolutely doable if the NS suggests it. The cross-platform changes, high frequency and generally a really well integrated system makes the commuting (most of the time) a treat.
I remember the first time I visited the Netherlands in the 1970s, I asked for a railway timetable. The person I spoke to smiled and explained that the whole NS system was run like a metro. He gave me a map on which the lines were coded according to the frequency of trains (2, 3 or 4 per hour). I remember the cross-platform interchanges at junction stations like Utrecht that were timed to fit the arrival frequency of the main lines as long as you were travelling in the same direction. In the 80s, when I lived in Eindhoven for a while, the trains were reliable and I never missed a connection.
What’s wrong with the UK public transport, the buses and trains leave just before the buses and trains come in,, seamless
Another aspect of the "like a metro" thing: if you, for whatever reason, do miss a train - just take the next one. And if there's some problem on the line, take trains around the problem. In illustration of the latter: the other day there was some problems knocking out loads of trains, so I couldn't take my direct from Amsterdam Centraal to Bussum. Fine, I just hopped on the train to Almere, and swapped there to one going to Bussum. Done and home.
@raymondoakford8357
Run by militant unions that give zero thought to customers ? Also the pseudo 'free market' ownership model in UK with multiple train companies ans Network Rail owning ageing infrastructure has not been good for customers ?
My first time catching a train from Schiphol in 2018, I walked down the stairs to the train just as the doors closed so I thought I'd just missed it I'll have to wait for the next train. The person behind me just walked around me and pressed the little green button on the doors & the opened. I followed them in red faced. Had no idea that's how the doors worked. Don't have that in Australia. You learn something new everyday. I love travel.
Our train doors basically close automatically since they got equiped with air conditioning. The purpose of that feature is saving energy.
Thanks for tge tip!
Only the "sprinters" have this mechanism that automatically closes after its been open for a while!
The bigger yellow trains (intercitys as we call them) do indeed close their doors as soon as the whistle has been blown, and these can't be opened again (the only situation in which you actually can open these doors would be if nobody exited the train through those doors when it arrived.)
@@yowo6105 True, I just realised that too now that you mention it.
@@yowo6105 New ICNG units do work the same as sprinters
Hi Steve! those trains with the cab on top we colloquially call "koplopers" or in english "headwalkers", the train model is the Intercity materieel (ICM). The reason they're called "headwalkers" is because you used to be able to walk through the head of the train when they we're connected! Ever since 2005 though these through connections are no longer used, as they weren't often used by passengers and the technical problems often caused delays, so the design is a remnant of the past of these weird looking trains :)
Hey Steve, great to see you in the Netherlands. I spent the last month travelling around Scotland on the trains and I totally understand where you are coming from. The trains are much less frequent. Here there is always a train every 30 minutes or less on each line every day. Amsterdam-Utrecht is the busiest line with trains every 10 minutes. When I travel in the Netherlands, I hardly ever worry about missing a connection. 5 minutes is always enough and if there is a delay, I just take the next one. The Dutch (myself included) tend to complain a lot, but we have just under 92% punctuality at 5 minutes (which is less than the Germans, who count with 15 minutes).
If I had a punctual connection like a plane, I'd just count in 30 minutes in advance and you'll always be fine.
Anyway, thanks for your visit, I love watching your videos.
Thanks so much for this!
The train with the cab on top is called the "Koploper". It is actually a unique design feature, because in the past you could walk through it to get from one train to another. The first units are currently out of service though, as they are over 43 years old.
Hi Steve - Regarding your comment on Alicja’s piano playing, just remember she is probably a member of the Eric Morecambe school of music, where she plays all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order."
“she can’t play the piano, but that never stops her” i almost choked on my lunch watching that…it’s so off-the-cuff yet true that it’s hard not to smile at
you used an Automat! it’s rare seeing them, but nice to know that they’re doing well in The Netherlands
and that odd Dutch train is an Intercity Materieel, or ICM, basically their version of your intercity trains that are all but retired now
Really enjoyed this video, especially as I live in the UK but work in the Netherlands and use the railways all the time to travel around. I have had the fortune to visit many parts and I have been struck by how beautiful the scenery is and towns are. Never had a problem with Dutch railways and would recommend the official app which makes travel so much easier. Thanks Steve, always enjoyed your content
We are spoiled people.
What a great filmmaker you are! It's like a documentary. 👌
So appreciated!
A good channel to follow is Machinist Stefan. He's a Dutch train driver and he's super conscientious about timings so one would think it's quite normal for the trains to be reliable. 😊
isn't it his voice at 12:35?
Yeah, you might be spot on,!
The trains with the cab on top are called 'Koploper' (loosely translated: frontrunner). They used to have doors in the front, so that when multiple units were connected, you could walk through the entire lenght of the train. This was especially useful for the food and drinks trolley, but these were discontinued years ago. The doors were also rather maintenance-heavy, so they were removed during the last major overhaul. The doubledeckers used to have little elevators for the trolleys, next to the stairs. They were also removed when the trolleys were discontinued.
In my experience the Dutch trains are decently punctual, as compared to some other countries. But the Dutch expect high standards and will definitely complain that there are too many delays. Now a delay is much less a problem on large parts of the Dutch network with very frequent service. On the Utrecht to Schiphol line for instance there can be up to 4 through trains an hour.
The worst thing is regional lines though. If you have to go to a town like Dalen and you miss the connection in Zwolle due to a very slight delay, you’d have to wait for an hour, seen as the trains between Zwolle and Emmen only stop at Dalen once an hour.
Nothing induces travel anxiety like a 5 minute connection time 😄 Great video Steve 😁👍
Since 1974 Dutch railways introduced the hourly service and the 15 and 30 minutes services as a standard. Which means that when you miss a connection, you shurely will get a next train 15, 30 or 60 minutes later. So in those times to be sure to get at Schiphol on time, you better take one train before the suggested connection. If it fails, you might get a good change to get there in time. 50 years later the system is based upon platform crossing and only can succeed when if there is a delay, the rest of the network will have to deal with it... A small delay of one or two minutes is not a big problem because the waiting times at stations with this platform crossing function has a 5 minutes stop time. For this reason the total trip time is longer than it used to be! And to prevent delays a lot of trains departure a minute earlier than expected. That is very common in the Netherlands railway system. Traincompanies get a fine when the delays are to big.
Nothing better than a fresh cup of coffee and a side order of Steve glad you were on time thx 😘🌸🌿☕️
ive got to say i love the mid week uploads Steve its always great to eat breakfast with a travel video!
the wifi on the train has the timetable and sometimes the connection, plus it has free wifi - it might be slow on a busy train, the dutch system operates a tap-on tap-off system. I travelled around the NL for 10 days in July my OV card was only checked once. The services from Utrecht are really good.
That vending machine shop brings me back. We used to have one in Leiden when I was at school there. Good Times! 🥰
To have a 5 minute connection on trains in the US would be considered absolutely mental. Never would happen. I’m jealous of Dutch and Swiss trains. (Not to mention the comparative density of those train lines.) Beautiful views, especially when paralleling the canal. Thanks for the video. Cheers, and ATB!
Thanks for watching Erin! The more I go to The Netherlands, the more impressed I am by that country!
@@steve-marshAs a privileged Dutchie I don't blame you Steve 😉 (though, like any country, there are surely downsides here too). Having said that, be assured you will always be most welcome here 👍
What a nice channel to watch.
My niece married a Scotsman so our family love the Scots since.
They married September 2023 in Sienna, Italy.
We flew from Düsseldorf airport, Germany for which we went by train from Amsterdam.
Ever since that journey I will never ever complain about the Dutch train service again.
Yes, the Dutch know how to whine, but after three German trains to and three German trains back I can tell you the German railway is a disaster. All the German trains we had to have were delayed till severely delayed. We left on time from Amsterdam, but arrived a half an hour too late on our first German station. The connecting train was also delayed for more than half an hour.
On the way back the international train from Germany was also delayed. I was able to reach Rotterdam before midnight but many tourists were in that train who had to go farther to Amsterdam still.
The Dutch railway is top notch. Love it. You passed stations I frequently see on my way commuting to my office in Amsterdam/ Diemen travelling from Rotterdam (sometimes also via Utrecht depending on the time table).
Looking forward to your next vids 👌🏽
An excellent video Steve. It was nice to see such a pristine country side. Everything just how it should be. The railway station looked amazing. The trains were modern, clean and on time. Even the rail corridor looked clean and well maintained. Thanks for sharing.
Looks like a really good train service. Great views along the way - the windows even look clean!
13:35 The train is called: Koploper.
Infront on top is where the machinist (pilot) is seated.
Cool side thing, back in the day you could walk from the wagon to wagon. But they discontinued those in the new models unfortunaly
When we have half an hour to spare we both say 'What would Steve do'?'. Of course it may not be practical to take a train to another country and back like Steve would, but at least we now fill the time more productively.
The Dutch railways may not be fast, but I found it an impressively high-performance network. Grade-separated junctions, cross-platform connections, and very high frequencies made it incredibly convenient to use.
And an automat restaurant - I've only seen those in 1930s American films!
For one reason or another, those automat restaurants have become an icon for the Netherlands, few food things are as Dutch as a 'kroketje uit de muur'. To be fair, they have better food than this, but it is quite convenient.
@@barvdwthe big issue I have with the coverage is that Steve went for Smulers and not FEBO.
That's basically like going to Pret or perhaps even Subway instead of Gregg's...
@@PeterFabian coffee at Prêt is pretty good, actually. But I agree, Febo is better.
They were apparently a German invention that got big in New York in the early 20th century but died out about halfway through. We here in the Netherlands picked them up around that time, and now they're an absolute staple
Thank you Steve, i loved this one, great music !
The train is called Koploper (Head runner) (with the raised cabin) as a kid we always called them Hondenkop (Dog's Head) but that was a misunderstanding I learned later, the hondenkop is an older train that went out of service in the 80s.
There was a brief collaboration with the Japanese Railways. The Dutch Railways are good at using train equipment efficiently. Due to the aging population in some Japanese regions, the number of train passengers is declining sharply. Japanese Railways is good in terms of punctuality. The busy railway lines around Tokyo were used as an example for the entire Dutch busy train network. The Japanese and Dutch railways shared knowledge to improve their railways.
Interesting. Thanks.
Swiss RhB still cooperates with the Japanese.
Sat in my digger waiting for the next truck to arrive, have loved this series of videos form the Netherlands
Another extra. You are spoiling us this week! Marvellous!
Such beautiful looking scenery. They trains looked amazing and very well kept
As usual in Netherlands station and railway absolutely spotless
Not always spotless 🕯️
Depends on which station, on some of them you can watch people take a leak on the platform during their transfers.
Hi Steve,
No, that punctuality is normal for Dutch Railways, especially on their InterCity routes. That train you liked the look of is called an ICM or Inter City Materieel or "koploper" which translates to "walk through head" - it has big doors below the cab to allow more coaches to be added, and for train splitting.
Thank you for another interesting vlog, it brought back happy memories of my time in the Netherlands.
Thank you for this nice video!
Let's start out with a fun fact: the intercity train which you took (from Maastricht to Den Helder) is the longest service in the Netherlands, taking 3 hours and 44 minutes!
The cross platform at Utrecht are always really nice, i've had plenty of 2-3 minute transfers and never missed one. One time when my first train was delayed, the staff of the second train even waited an extra minute, so everyone could make their connection. So it was quite funny to see you stressing about a 5 minute connection.
But sadly not all cross platform connections are perfect. As an example: the transfer from Schiphol to Den Helder at Zaandam. During rush hour, the train from schiphol was delayed by 1-3 minutes pretty much every day. This turnedmy 2 minute transfer into a < 30sec transfer. Whille the 30 second transfer is still easily possible, I also saw my second train departing just as we were coming to a stop plenty of time.
Nice little travel video thanks and on the train you can see the world as you go by well the scenery 👍 cheers for the journey 😀
I love your positive attitude and how you make the best of any adversity, like a change of plans. It's admirable how you don't comment negatively on something you may not have liked, like the hamburger from the vending machine, or the fact that it was hot on the train. You're the kind of person I would like to know! Love the videos!
Brilliant content as usual . Those stations look so clean and well organised . The Netherlands in a country I'd love to go back to. Thanks Steve . Thoroughly enjoyed watching
You made this old Dutch woman very happy ❤
Not old, elderly maybe.
I need more train journeys. Great video, thanks, Steve.
I worked in Den Helder for 6 months on a 3 week on 3 week off rotation. My company used to fly me from Inverness to Schiphol then get the train up to Den Helder. There is a large maritime museum in Den Helder as its home to their navy, but never got the chance to see it, despite our vessel being docked next to it. We were lucky as we had 7 bikes kept on our vessel which we could use when off shift and explore Den Helder
Having spent three years in the Netherlands your whole trip has been wonderful, for your presentation (as ever) and the memories of visiting some of where you travelled, not least Maastricht that is a real gem of a place to be. Many thanks Steve.
Thank you for the little extra in the middle of the week🖐🇺🇸🌷
Loved just looking out the train window at the passing scenery. Thanks Steve. 👍
Great video. I love Dutch trains.
The Dutch seem not to be so bothered by privacy issues as some other countries are. There are some excellent Dutch rail channels (Cabview Holland, Machinist Stefan) who simply add notices to their videos asking folk who don't wish to be seen to write in, and their faces will be pixellated out of their videos.
Google Maps' street view mode is very different in the Netherlands and Germany. The latter country seems to be much more security-conscious.
We don’t have much to hide, It’s the same with the enormous open windows in our homes.
I’m a huge fan of Dutch windows and curtains.
@rosemarymee Are you? Unfortunately, it's becoming less and less common. I live in one of the border villages, and we do have many Belgians living here. They don't understand the "openness concept," and they cover every window almost 24/7. It's remarkable how different we are, even though we were never far apart from each other anyway. Adopting different cultures isn't one of their strongest qualities. 😂
@@viderethevaccinatorfromhol7536 I think the open windows thing is from the Dutch Protestant (Lutheran) religion, whereas the Belgians are mostly Catholic.
Dear Steve, you're always welcome in the Netherlands. If you're once again in the Netherlands, I'll be happy to guide you through 's-Hertogenbosch. It is a city with a very rich history. This is the city with the beautiful station. I work in 's-Hertogenbosch and you there's so much to discover about the city.
Another fascinating video, Steve. Maastricht is certainly a lovely city. On the journey north, I just loved seeing those huge canal barges ploughing their way along.
Of course you’ll catch your flight. Most of the time they run on time, great system and nice network. The train you’ve spotted was the Koploper, train from the late seventies, but still very comfortable. When new you were able to walk through the head of the train to the one connected, also during the ride. Thanks, for loving Holland 👍🏻
Everywhere was so clean and peaceful and orderly. I’m sure it’s bonkers in the big cities but what you showed us was lovely.
Maastricht and especially Utrecht are big city’s 🙂
@@hisk7263Fair point, it’s funny Maastricht didn’t look a big city, it looked like a quaint wee town. I’m thinking more of Amsterdam and Rotterdam but I stand corrected if they are the same as Maastricht for cleanliness.
@@kaycee625they are the same for cleanliness, your just don't see it because of all the people running around.
Maastricht is indeed not very big. Utrecht is the 4th biggest city in the Netherlands though and the biggest and most used station.
Well Steve from my experience of Netherlands train travel way back in the early 2000's their punctuality is always very good. I travelled from Schiphol to Den Helder for a work assignment and had never been on trains there before but they arrived at every stop bang on time all the way there and it was just as punctual when I travelled back a week later. They were also better maintained and cleaner than UK trains I'd say.
Still at the start of the video, but I'm assuming it's a switch on the same platform in Utrecht. :p Also, I don't think there's any limitation on which train you take with your ticket, as long as it is a reasonable route in the same class.
Edit: I was indeed correct. The train with the cab on top is called "Koploper" btw (or ICM). Your second train was a Sprinter, which is usually used for local routes with a stop at each station, probably due to a lack of material or something like that. Seeing no staff at all is very common here in my experience. It's usually not too bad here with delays and cancellations, although we do still often love to complain about any sort of delay, even when the next train goes within 10 or 15 minutes! We also don't have any seat reservations on our train, nor do we have any sort of dynamic pricing.
If you do visit the Netherlands gain, 's Hertogenbosch could be interesting, or Nijmegen which is the oldest city in our country.
That was another cool video Steve. Glad you made it to the airport on time at the end of a great wee trip 😊
Fun, never doubt how much your videos are enjoyed.
Steve you just make my day. I always feel Im travelling right beside you and enjoy your banter so much! 🇨🇦
I've only travelled on the Dutch railways twice. Ironically, from Schiphol to Maastricht and a few days later, Maastricht to Schiphol. This was in 2015, and it was one of those high cab trains. They were punctual then, too. The one thing we had to watch on the way down is that at Utrecht, the train was split into two. Half went to Maastricht and half went elsewhere (I forget where). Get into the wrong half and you wouldn't arrive where you thought.
On the way home, I was worried. I got to the station for the train I'd booked the ticket, only to find that there were track works, I think somewhere between Utrecht and Schiphol resulting in our train being rerouted via Rotterdam. We only made our flight back to Scotland by minutes.
Oh I didn't even realise there was a split! That would stress me out!
Nice video again Steve. Particularly liked the pro insertion of suitable backing-track and the way Netherlands' canals fill up to the brim highlighting the lowness of the country. Awrah best.
Have you done any videos in Cornwall Steve? It might be a cool place for you and Alicja to do a video as Cornwall has its own unique Celtic/Briton culture, language, heritage and lovely landscapes and coastlines of course 👍
Enjoyable vlog Steve chap…👌👌 Maastricht train station looks beautiful….I’ve used those double decker trains when I was in Australia number of years ago.👍👍
Another gem Steve. Informative and enjoyable. One could not ask for more.
Brilliant video again Steve 👍
Thanks Steve for another great bonus video of what looks like a wonderful country with trains that are punctual!! Also love that you always give us so much info even down to what Rivers you maybe crossing it just makes everything gel together 👍
Nice music, thank youy!
Love your videos Steve and hopefully you get to see more of Utrecht one day. I did a uni exchange from Australia in Utrecht in 2005 and it's a fantastic little city to explore with cool canals and the Dom Tower.
Your music choice is spot on!!! I ride this exact train 2 times a week!
13:40 the famous Dutch "Koploper" or translated: Headwalker, they used to have these doors in the front beneath the cabin. When sets were coupled, you were able to walk directly from one set to another via these doors. As a dutch train enthousiast, these are my favourite NS trains. And they are surely worth trying because unfortunately, they will be withdrawn in the upcoming years.
Love your videos. I always feel relaxed watching them after a busy day .
Your such a inspiration you have inspired me to travel a lot more and I thank you for that keep up the good work
The train at 13:33 is called a ‘Koploper’ (head walker) because they had sliding doors at the front so people could walk through them from one train set to the next. When they were refurbished the sliding doors were removed and you can no longer walk through.
I have traveled quite a bit by train in the Netherlands and not once do I recall any train being late or delayed. Bang on time every time and also very reasonable cost wise. A great way of getting around the country.
Love to watch your videos, simple but so close to the viewers 😊
The Train with the cab on top are often callee "koplopers" meaning "fromt runners" or "head walkers"
They're officially called "ICM" standing for "InterCity Materieel", Materieel meaning "Material"
You're spoiling us Steve! ;)
Even though this is just a "getting from A to B" video, it is still very enjoyable. Thanks Steve! Love the channel.
My heart was in my mouth hoping you ll be able to do the connection.Glad all went well.🎉
It was never in doubt...Its only the trains here in the UK that are late! Do like the Dutch railways.
I’ve used Dutch trains a couple of times, and they’ve always worked well for me - looks like a largely stress free journey! 👍🏻
Thanks again, Steve! Much appreciated!
If I am not mistaken you could have changed trains in Eindhoven as well with a lot more time to spare and it is on the same platform as well.
And if you miss your connection there will be a next train in 10-15 minutes.
Maastricht is an endstation for the intercity, so it will stay there a bit longer to be cleaned and if the train is late, it will still leave on time on the way back.
I'm a novice, I just went with the connections 'trainline' showed me
1:45 Cats and dogs play the piano. Elephants can paint your or my portrait. Let us begin: "My delightful friend can play the piano, my delightful friend can play the piano etc". Repeat until the words are as natural as breathing, or until you feel your debt of silliness (dare I say insensitive stupidity) is paid in full Steve. Love your work brother.
3:52 The signal box was designed by architect Sybold van Ravesteyn in 1932 and is now _rijksmonument_ 46783, the Dutch equivalent of a listed building.
I think the most fun thing about this video is that you were stressed about not making the connection at Utrecht Centraal. But you took so much time wondering around at Maastricht that in the meantime i think you could have cached 3 or 4 trains earlier to Utrecht Centraal then the one you got.😅
That's what you get when you are used to only being able to use the specific train you bought the ticket for...
The Dutch railway system - NS - is a thing of beauty. I'm from Hull, been living here some time (Rotterdam), and I barely use my car if I'm going any distance. I have what's known as the OV-Chipkaart, which gets me a significant discount over the NS network. You even managed a Smuller kipburger - a guilty pleasure every time I travel. Last time was last Thursday; Rotterdam Centraal to Schiphol for my flight to Luton.
Some Dutch stations are stunning. Maastricht is beautiful. Utrecht, as you might not've seen, is uber-modern. As is Rotterdam CS. Haarlem smacks of an old-fashioned British station.
Be careful with the silent coaches though. I travelled to Hamburg via Apeldoorn and didn't realise I was in the the silent coach. Had to take a work call, got the back of my seat kicked by a (tall) disgruntled passenger.