An Overview of Public Transit Service in the Netherlands

So far, the content of our program in the Netherlands has focused more on bicycle infrastructure and land use planning, but we have covered some aspects of public transit during lectures and we have seen a lot of public transit service in action during our bike tours.  It’s incredible to see such a wide variety of transit services in operation and gratifying to see such huge numbers of people using transit to get around.

Our homebase of Delft is part of the Hague region that includes Den Haag (The Hague) and its surrounding suburbs and towns. We are also very close to the Rotterdam region. From what I can tell, both The Hague and Rotterdam have their own internal transit systems (bus, tram, and metro), most of the smaller towns run their own bus networks, and there is also a regional light-rail system called Randstad Rail. As if that wasn’t enough, there is also a very extensive and frequent train network connecting most cities in the Netherlands. Locally, there is a train line connecting The Hague and Rotterdam via Delft with departures several times an hour.

The Hague’s transit system is operated by a company called HTM and consists of 25 lines. Most of these are tram lines, which are comparable to modern American streetcars but usually use longer vehicles and only rarely run in mixed traffic.

A typical tram in The Hague region

Multiple tram lines converge at Den Haag HS train station

HTM does run a few bus lines as well. I suspect they run buses in areas with lower demand (hence less need for the higher capacity of a tram) or where right-of-way is constrained. One thing I find interesting and gratifying is that the HTM transit guide gives every line a number and does not separate out bus from tram service. They are only differentiated on the maps and in the guide by a small bus or tram symbol. This is a subtle way of saying to people that buses and trams are part of the same network and that mode should not determine whether someone uses that network. This contrasts strongly with Portland, where MAX is strongly differentiated from the bus system even though many bus lines are just as frequent and useful as light rail.

 HTM also has two relatively new light-rail lines (similar to MAX in Portland) that connect The Hague and Zoetermeer and operate under the RandstadRail brand. Zoetermeer is one of the many so-called "new towns" that are completely separate communities built with relatively high densities, and planners made sure to include light rail to The Hague in their plan for the town. This is a great example of how transportation and land use planning are more coordinated here. 

Many local transit systems supplement the HTM service. Rotterdam has its own system with bus, tram, and metro (heavy rail) lines. Most of these serve the Rotterdam area, but the E metro line runs all the way to The Hague. We visited a very interesting station in Nootdorp which uses a dual-level platform to accommodate both low-floor light rail and high-floor heavy rail lines that overlap. This is a creative solution that probably saved a lot of money in the construction of this station, although it may limit capacity as ridership on the system grows and frequencies increase.

RandstadRail light rail vehicle

Note the upper and lower level platforms

Each little town or collection of towns have their own local bus systems to supplement the main HTM tram and bus network. Most of these local buses are run by a company called Veolia Transport. I asked a planner here about the local buses in Delft, and he surprisingly said that only young and elderly and poor people actually ride the bus, a very similar sentiment to what we find in America. However, in this case the reality is quite different. The tram and train network is so good here, and bicycling so convenient, that the local bus system really does serve more of a social service function for those few that are unable to ride bikes or afford a car who live in areas not served by tram lines.

A typical bus in Delft, about 40 feet long with 3 doors

Bus service in the Delft is privately operated by Veolia Transport

And then of course there is the incredible train system which allows people to get to just about any city in the country in a couple hours, with trains coming and going with very high frequency. Imagine using intercity trains where you don’t even have to rely on a schedule! Plenty of people drive on the motorways (freeways) between cities, but especially during peak times the train service is probably a much more attractive option. The extensive use of 4-track configurations allow for both local service (Sprinter trains) and express service (Intercity trains). There is also a high-speed service called Fyra between major cities.

Sprinter trains provide local service, stopping at most stations

Intercity trains provide express service, only stopping at major stations