History of rail transport in the Netherlands
Encyclopedia
The history of rail transport in the Netherlands is generally considered to have begun on September 20, 1839 when the first train, drawn by De Arend
successfully made the 16 km trip from Amsterdam
to Haarlem
. However, the first plan for a railroad in the Netherlands was launched only shortly after the first railroad opened in Britain.
When discussing the history of rail transport in the Netherlands, we can roughly distinguish 6 eras, namely; the period up to 1839, when the first plans were made for a railroad, the period 1840-1860, when the railroads experienced their early expansion, the period 1860-1890, when the government started to order the construction of new lines, the period 1890-1938, when the railroads were consolidated into two large railroads, the period 1938-1992, when the Nederlandse Spoorwegen
was granted a monopoly
on rail transport and finally the period from 1992 to the present, when the Nederlandse Spoorwegen lost its monopoly
.
first railroad
opened. He planned to build a railway connecting Amsterdam to Cologne
(Germany
), passing through Arnhem
. However, unlike most European countries, the Netherlands already had an effective manner of transporting goods and passengers between cities, the horse-drawn boat
or trekschuit
. The Netherlands had historically been a trading nation, partly due to the many rivers and canal
s running through the country which allowed for effective transport. Many people thus questioned the need for a railroad. Moreover, the existing shipping
industry formed a powerful lobby
against the railroad, which managed to sway public opinion
. The result was that when Bake tried to raise funds for the railroad, he failed completely. He was never to return to his plans.
. With the original stretch running to Haarlem
to test its economic viability. This change in route may have been partly influenced by wealthy investor
s who were eager for a direct train connection between either of the great Dutch ports (Amsterdam and Rotterdam). King William I
was reluctant to have the Netherlands at a competitive disadvantage to the neighbouring countries who were all building railroads. He might also have felt threatened by the plans for the Iron Rhine.
s. The experts had to be imported from other countries, mainly England. Even with this expertise, a few odd decisions were made; citing safety concerns, it was decided that the rail would be built on a broad gauge
of , while the neighbouring countries all used standard gauge
. This made the railroad incompatible with those of neighbouring countries, whereas the system was originally intended to link up with them (the railroads would later be converted
to standard gauge to remedy this). It also delayed delivery of the locomotives.
(and De Snelheid as a backup) left Amsterdam, arriving in a (then) recordbreaking 30 minutes later in Haarlem. Commercial transport started four days later.
(HSM), who also built the first line, or the Nederlandse Rhijnspoorweg-Maatschappij (NSR), and a few other minor railroads.
Without further major incidents, the railroad was completed in 1847 when it reached Rotterdam.
to Utrecht
to Arnhem
and then on to Germany
. They however only launched their plan shortly after the HSM had started constructing their first line, and could only find few investors (mainly German ). King William
once again proved to be the saviour of the railroads, when he personally vouched for the interest payments on the financing of the railroad. The railroad, with funding secured, could then proceed to construct the line. Like the HSM, the NRS made the odd decision to build the railway on a Dutch broad gauge of , while the connection in Germany was on standard gauge
. The first stretch connecting Amsterdam to Utrecht opened on December 18, 1843, and the stretch to Arnhem was opened on May 16, 1845. The final stretch, the connection with Germany, was only completed 11 years later, in 1856, possibly because the railroad first had to convert to standard gauge. The NRS also undertook the construction of a railroad from Rotterdam
to Utrecht, connecting Rotterdam to Germany.
A few other minor railroads also started operation in this period, such as the Aachen
-Maastricht
Spoorweg Maatschappij (who built a railroad from Maastricht to Aken) and the Belgian 'Grand Central Belge' who built a few lines in the border region. However, by 1860, only 325 km of railroad had been constructed, But the real boom in railroad construction, was about to start.
provinces and to a lesser extent Gelderland
(which lies on the path from Holland to Germany). Citizens from various cities not served by the railroads feared that their respective city would be put at a disadvantage compared to cities which were connected to the network. They then started lobbying the government to connect the cities to the network. Others founded their own railroads. (Lokaalspoorweg)
The map on the right shows the lines constructed by the government in gold.
, which fittingly translated as Company for the Exploitation of the State Railways. Despite its name, however, this company was not founded by the state, but by a group of private investors who received the concession for the lines built by the state.
New railroads were also founded. The Noord-Brabantsch-Duitsche Spoorweg-Maatschappij (NBDS) was founded to fill the gap in the line between Saint Petersburg
, Berlin
and London
.
. The line from Leeuwarden to Ferwerd opened in 1901, being extended to Metslauwier later that year. A line branched off at Stiens, reaching Harlingen by 1904, with a branch to Franeker and another goods only branch to Berlikum. A final extension on the original line reached Anjum
in 1913.
until this section is completed
Arend
Arend was one of the two first steam locomotives in the Netherlands. It was a 2-2-2 Patentee type built in England by R. B. Longridge and Company of Bedlington, Northumberland. On 20 September 1839, together with the Snelheid , it hauled the first train between Amsterdam and Haarlem...
successfully made the 16 km trip from Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
to Haarlem
Haarlem
Haarlem is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland, the northern half of Holland, which at one time was the most powerful of the seven provinces of the Dutch Republic...
. However, the first plan for a railroad in the Netherlands was launched only shortly after the first railroad opened in Britain.
When discussing the history of rail transport in the Netherlands, we can roughly distinguish 6 eras, namely; the period up to 1839, when the first plans were made for a railroad, the period 1840-1860, when the railroads experienced their early expansion, the period 1860-1890, when the government started to order the construction of new lines, the period 1890-1938, when the railroads were consolidated into two large railroads, the period 1938-1992, when the Nederlandse Spoorwegen
Nederlandse Spoorwegen
Nederlandse Spoorwegen , or NS, is the principal passenger railway operator in the Netherlands.Its trains operate over the tracks of the Dutch national railinfrastructure, operated by ProRail, which was split off from NS in 2003...
was granted a monopoly
Government-granted monopoly
In economics, a government-granted monopoly is a form of coercive monopoly by which a government grants exclusive privilege to a private individual or firm to be the sole provider of a good or service; potential competitors are excluded from the market by law, regulation, or other mechanisms of...
on rail transport and finally the period from 1992 to the present, when the Nederlandse Spoorwegen lost its monopoly
Liberalization
In general, liberalization refers to a relaxation of previous government restrictions, usually in areas of social or economic policy. In some contexts this process or concept is often, but not always, referred to as deregulation...
.
A false start
An ambitious army officer, W.A. Bake launched the first plan to build a railroad in the Netherlands shortly after Britain'sUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
first railroad
Liverpool and Manchester Railway
The Liverpool and Manchester Railway was the world's first inter-city passenger railway in which all the trains were timetabled and were hauled for most of the distance solely by steam locomotives. The line opened on 15 September 1830 and ran between the cities of Liverpool and Manchester in North...
opened. He planned to build a railway connecting Amsterdam to Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
(Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
), passing through Arnhem
Arnhem
Arnhem is a city and municipality, situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland and located near the river Nederrijn as well as near the St. Jansbeek, which was the source of the city's development. Arnhem has 146,095 residents as one of the...
. However, unlike most European countries, the Netherlands already had an effective manner of transporting goods and passengers between cities, the horse-drawn boat
Horse-drawn boat
A horse-drawn boat or tow-boat is a historic boat operating on a canal, pulled by a horse walking on a special road along the canal, the towpath.-United Kingdom:...
or trekschuit
Trekschuit
Trekschuit, literal translation 'tugboat', is an old style of horse-drawn boat specific to the Netherlands where it was used for centuries as a means of passenger traffic between cities along trekvaarten, or tow-canals.-History:...
. The Netherlands had historically been a trading nation, partly due to the many rivers and canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
s running through the country which allowed for effective transport. Many people thus questioned the need for a railroad. Moreover, the existing shipping
Shipping
Shipping has multiple meanings. It can be a physical process of transporting commodities and merchandise goods and cargo, by land, air, and sea. It also can describe the movement of objects by ship.Land or "ground" shipping can be by train or by truck...
industry formed a powerful lobby
Lobbying
Lobbying is the act of attempting to influence decisions made by officials in the government, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying is done by various people or groups, from private-sector individuals or corporations, fellow legislators or government officials, or...
against the railroad, which managed to sway public opinion
Public opinion
Public opinion is the aggregate of individual attitudes or beliefs held by the adult population. Public opinion can also be defined as the complex collection of opinions of many different people and the sum of all their views....
. The result was that when Bake tried to raise funds for the railroad, he failed completely. He was never to return to his plans.
Royal intervention
An employee of Bake, W.C. Brade, continued his plans, although he changed the route to run from Amsterdam to RotterdamRotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
. With the original stretch running to Haarlem
Haarlem
Haarlem is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland, the northern half of Holland, which at one time was the most powerful of the seven provinces of the Dutch Republic...
to test its economic viability. This change in route may have been partly influenced by wealthy investor
Investor
An investor is a party that makes an investment into one or more categories of assets --- equity, debt securities, real estate, currency, commodity, derivatives such as put and call options, etc...
s who were eager for a direct train connection between either of the great Dutch ports (Amsterdam and Rotterdam). King William I
William I of the Netherlands
William I Frederick, born Willem Frederik Prins van Oranje-Nassau , was a Prince of Orange and the first King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg....
was reluctant to have the Netherlands at a competitive disadvantage to the neighbouring countries who were all building railroads. He might also have felt threatened by the plans for the Iron Rhine.
Building the line
With the blessing of the king, construction of the railroad could commence. However, there was one major obstacle, a lack of qualified railroad construction engineerEngineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
s. The experts had to be imported from other countries, mainly England. Even with this expertise, a few odd decisions were made; citing safety concerns, it was decided that the rail would be built on a broad gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
of , while the neighbouring countries all used standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
. This made the railroad incompatible with those of neighbouring countries, whereas the system was originally intended to link up with them (the railroads would later be converted
Gauge conversion
In rail transport, gauge conversion is the process of converting a railway from one rail gauge to another, through the alteration of the railway tracks...
to standard gauge to remedy this). It also delayed delivery of the locomotives.
Opening of the line
When the line was finally completed, and the locomotives delivered, the line could be opened. On September 20 a train pulled by the locomotives De ArendArend
Arend was one of the two first steam locomotives in the Netherlands. It was a 2-2-2 Patentee type built in England by R. B. Longridge and Company of Bedlington, Northumberland. On 20 September 1839, together with the Snelheid , it hauled the first train between Amsterdam and Haarlem...
(and De Snelheid as a backup) left Amsterdam, arriving in a (then) recordbreaking 30 minutes later in Haarlem. Commercial transport started four days later.
Early expansion 1840-1860
After the first stretch of railroad proved to be successful, the railroads started to expand slowly. The bulk of the railroads were constructed by either the Hollandsche IJzeren Spoorweg-MaatschappijHollandsche IJzeren Spoorweg-Maatschappij
The Hollandsche IJzeren Spoorweg-Maatschappij or HSM was the first railway company in the Netherlands founded on 8 August 1837 as a private company, starting operation in 1839 with a line between Amsterdam and Haarlem...
(HSM), who also built the first line, or the Nederlandse Rhijnspoorweg-Maatschappij (NSR), and a few other minor railroads.
Hollandsche IJzeren Spoorweg-Maatschappij
After the first stretch between Amsterdam and Haarlem proved viable, the company decided to complete to line to Rotterdam. Some people, especially the wealthy landowners, weren't too fond of the railroad crossing their land, while other people were interested in the economic potential of the railroad. This led to a rather famous incident when Aernout Hendrik van Wickevoort Crommelin, the owner of a small parcel directly in the path of the railroad, only wanted to sell his land in exchange for a train station at a place favorable to him. The HSM first tried to use legal means to get hold of the land, but when that took too long, they simply built the railroad with a sharp curve around the parcel. Van Wickevoort, seeing that his plan had failed, then donated the land to the railroad. This small change in the route had only been operational for five days, but cost the railroad more than they would have spent fulfilling Van Wickevoorts' demands. This incident is referred to as 'Het laantje van Van der Gaag'.Without further major incidents, the railroad was completed in 1847 when it reached Rotterdam.
Nederlandsche Rhijnspoorweg-Maatschappij
The only other major railroad which was founded in this period was the Nederlandse Rhijnspoorweg-Maatschappij (NRS). The first line the NRS wanted to build ran from AmsterdamAmsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
to Utrecht
Utrecht
Utrecht is a city in the Netherlands.The name may also refer to:* Utrecht , of which Utrecht is the capital* Utrecht , including the city of Utrecht* Bishopric of Utrecht* Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Utrecht...
to Arnhem
Arnhem
Arnhem is a city and municipality, situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland and located near the river Nederrijn as well as near the St. Jansbeek, which was the source of the city's development. Arnhem has 146,095 residents as one of the...
and then on to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. They however only launched their plan shortly after the HSM had started constructing their first line, and could only find few investors (mainly German ). King William
William I of the Netherlands
William I Frederick, born Willem Frederik Prins van Oranje-Nassau , was a Prince of Orange and the first King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg....
once again proved to be the saviour of the railroads, when he personally vouched for the interest payments on the financing of the railroad. The railroad, with funding secured, could then proceed to construct the line. Like the HSM, the NRS made the odd decision to build the railway on a Dutch broad gauge of , while the connection in Germany was on standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
. The first stretch connecting Amsterdam to Utrecht opened on December 18, 1843, and the stretch to Arnhem was opened on May 16, 1845. The final stretch, the connection with Germany, was only completed 11 years later, in 1856, possibly because the railroad first had to convert to standard gauge. The NRS also undertook the construction of a railroad from Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
to Utrecht, connecting Rotterdam to Germany.
A few other minor railroads also started operation in this period, such as the Aachen
Aachen
Aachen has historically been a spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Geographically, Aachen is the westernmost town of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, ...
-Maastricht
Maastricht
Maastricht is situated on both sides of the Meuse river in the south-eastern part of the Netherlands, on the Belgian border and near the German border...
Spoorweg Maatschappij (who built a railroad from Maastricht to Aken) and the Belgian 'Grand Central Belge' who built a few lines in the border region. However, by 1860, only 325 km of railroad had been constructed, But the real boom in railroad construction, was about to start.
Construction boom 1860-1890
Like in most countries, the government chose to leave the construction and operation of the railroads to private companies. This led to a concentration of the railroads in the densely populated Holland and UtrechtUtrecht (province)
Utrecht is the smallest province of the Netherlands in terms of area, and is located in the centre of the country. It is bordered by the Eemmeer in the north, Gelderland in the east, the river Rhine in the south, South Holland in the west, and North Holland in the northwest...
provinces and to a lesser extent Gelderland
Gelderland
Gelderland is the largest province of the Netherlands, located in the central eastern part of the country. The capital city is Arnhem. The two other major cities, Nijmegen and Apeldoorn have more inhabitants. Other major regional centers in Gelderland are Ede, Doetinchem, Zutphen, Tiel, Wijchen,...
(which lies on the path from Holland to Germany). Citizens from various cities not served by the railroads feared that their respective city would be put at a disadvantage compared to cities which were connected to the network. They then started lobbying the government to connect the cities to the network. Others founded their own railroads. (Lokaalspoorweg)
Government Intervention
In 1860 the spoorwegwet was approved in which the government stated its intention to build a large rail network. Previously, the government had subsidized certain lines, but never done anything of this scale. The network was designed for efficieny, which meant that as many cities as possible had to be connected with the least amount of track. Another aspect of this efficiency was that, save for a few major stations, all stations along the line were built to a standardised design based on the expected volume of travellers.The map on the right shows the lines constructed by the government in gold.
Maatschappij tot Exploitatie van Staatsspoorwegen
To service the new lines build by the government, a new (private) company was founded; the Maatschappij tot Exploitatie van StaatsspoorwegenMaatschappij tot Exploitatie van Staatsspoorwegen
The Maatschappij tot Exploitatie van Staatsspoorwegen or SS was a private railroad founded to utilise the government funded railways. The company existed until 1938, when it formally merged with the Hollandsche IJzeren Spoorweg-Maatschappij to form the Nederlandse Spoorwegen...
, which fittingly translated as Company for the Exploitation of the State Railways. Despite its name, however, this company was not founded by the state, but by a group of private investors who received the concession for the lines built by the state.
Private construction
While the government took on the job to build the majority of the railroads, the private railroad companies continued to build their own lines. For example, the HSM built a line connecting Amsterdam to Germany to compete with the NRS on freight and passengers bound for Germany. While the NRS built a highly anticipated, but financially a failure, railroad between Leiden and WoerdenWoerden
Woerden is a municipality and a city in the central Netherlands. Due to its central location between Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht, and the fact that it has excellent rail and road connections to those cities, it is a popular town for commuters who work in those cities.-Population...
New railroads were also founded. The Noord-Brabantsch-Duitsche Spoorweg-Maatschappij (NBDS) was founded to fill the gap in the line between Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
, Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Consolidation 1890-1938
In the early 1900s, the Noord Friesche Locaalspoorweg-Maatschappij built two lines in the north of FrieslandFriesland
Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient region of Frisia.Until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân...
. The line from Leeuwarden to Ferwerd opened in 1901, being extended to Metslauwier later that year. A line branched off at Stiens, reaching Harlingen by 1904, with a branch to Franeker and another goods only branch to Berlikum. A final extension on the original line reached Anjum
Anjum
Anjum is a village in the Dutch province of Friesland. It is located in the municipality Dongeradeel.-History:The name of the village is often said to mean "home of the Anos or Aningas". Another explanation is that it comes from the word "Hanjum"...
in 1913.
Nederlandse Spoorwegen 1938-1992
See the article about the Nederlandse SpoorwegenNederlandse Spoorwegen
Nederlandse Spoorwegen , or NS, is the principal passenger railway operator in the Netherlands.Its trains operate over the tracks of the Dutch national railinfrastructure, operated by ProRail, which was split off from NS in 2003...
until this section is completed
See also
- History of the NetherlandsHistory of the NetherlandsThe history of the Netherlands is the history of a maritime people thriving on a watery lowland river delta at the edge of northwestern Europe. When the Romans and written history arrived in 57 BC, the country was sparsely populated by various tribal groups at the periphery of the empire...
- Rail transport by countryRail transport by countryThis page provides an index of articles on Rail transport by country.Other indexes available include:*List of railway companies by country*List of countries by rail transport network size*Rail usage statistics by country...
- Rail transport in the NetherlandsRail transport in the NetherlandsRail transport in the Netherlands utilises a 2809 km long network maintained by ProRail and operated by a number of different operators. The entire network is standard gauge.The Netherlands is a member of the International Union of Railways...
- Nederlands SpoorwegmuseumNederlands SpoorwegmuseumThe Nederlands Spoorwegmuseum is the Dutch national railway museum. It was established in 1927; since 1954 it has been housed in the "Maliebaan station", a former station in Utrecht.- History :...
- Nederlandse SpoorwegenNederlandse SpoorwegenNederlandse Spoorwegen , or NS, is the principal passenger railway operator in the Netherlands.Its trains operate over the tracks of the Dutch national railinfrastructure, operated by ProRail, which was split off from NS in 2003...