Transport in the Netherlands - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Rail transport

Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...

for public transport

Public transport

Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...

is operated mainly by 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...

(NS), minor parts by Arriva

Arriva

Arriva plc is a multinational public transport company owned by Deutsche Bahn and headquartered in Sunderland, United Kingdom. It has bus, coach, train, tram and waterbus operations in 12 countries across Europe, employs more than 47,500 people and services over 1.5 billion passenger journeys each...

, Syntus

Syntus

Syntus bv is a public transport company operating bus and passenger train services in the east of the Netherlands. It is owned jointly by NS Reizigers and Keolis...

, Connexxion

Connexxion

Connexxion is the largest public transport bus company in the Netherlands, operating in the west, middle, east and far northern part of the country. It was formed in 1999 as result of a fusion between the public transport companies NZH, ZWN, Midnet and Oostnet. Its name is a mutation of the French...

, DB Regionalbahn Westfalen, Veolia Transport Nederland

Veolia Transport Nederland

Veolia Transport Nederland is, like Connexxion, a Dutch subsidiary of Veolia Transdev. It provides bus, train and ferry services.-History:The company first appeared in the Netherlands in 1997 when it traded as CGEA. This company had a 70% share in the train company Lovers Rail who operated trains...

and Prignitzer Eisenbahn (PE Holding AG, Arriva

Arriva

) (for the latter two, see Enschede

Enschede

Enschede , also known as Eanske in the local dialect of Twents, is a municipality and a city in the eastern Netherlands in the province of Overijssel and in the Twente region...

).
The Dutch rail network is the busiest network in the entire world.

Public transport

The main public transport

Public transport

in the Netherlands for longer distances is by train. Long-distance buses are limited to a few missing railway connections. Regional and local public transport is by bus, and in some cities by metro and tram. Also there are ferries.

Cycling

The Netherlands have a very high amount of well-constructed bicycle lanes. Within city centers, most of them are separated from traffic lanes and include traffic lights. Biking is a common way of transport, and there are big bicycle parkings near stations. Helmets are neither officially encouraged nor frequently worn.

See Cycling in the Netherlands

Cycling in the Netherlands

Cycling in the Netherlands is a common and popular method of both transport and also recreation. The country is well equipped with cycle-paths and other segregated cycle facilities. The network reaches all parts of the nation and into the bordering nations of Belgium and Germany...

for further information.

Highways

total:
125,575 km

paved: 113,018 km (including 2,235 km of expressways)

unpaved: 12,557 km (1998 est.)

See List of motorways in the Netherlands

The Netherlands has one of the most dense highway networks in the world. There are 135,470 km of public roads, of which 5,012 km are national roads, 7,899 km are provincial roads, and 122,559 km are local and other roads. The Netherlands has a motorway density of 57.5 kilometers per 1,000 km², the most dense motorway network in the European Union

European Union

The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...

. A motorway is called an "autosnelweg" (plural: "autosnelwegen"), or simply "snelweg".

History

The first motorway dates back to 1936, when the current A12 was opened to traffic between Voorburg and Zoetermeer, near The Hague

The Hague

The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...

. Motorway construction accelerated in the 1960s and 1970s, but halted in the 1980s. Current motorway expansion mostly occurs outside the Randstad

Randstad

Image:Randstad_with_scale.png|400px|thumb|right|Clickable schematic map of the Randstadcircle 528 380 26 Schipholrect 426 356 498 436 Haarlemmermeerrect 399 166 479 245 Velsencircle 250 716 32 Delftcircle 220 642 60 The Hague...

, and very little construction has taken place inside the Randstad since the 1980s. Since 1991, only 100 kilometers of motorway have been constructed in the entire country, of which only 26 km lie within the Randstad metropolitan area. The population has grown by 1.5 million since, creating significant pressure on the motorway network.

Status & technology

The Netherlands has one of the most advanced motorway networks in the world, with Variable Message Signs and electronic signalization across most of the network. A special feature of the motorways is the use of Porous Asphalt Concrete, which allows water to be drained efficiently, and even in heavy rain, no water will splash up, in contrast with concrete or other pavement types. The Netherlands is the only country which uses PAC this extensively, and the goal is to cover 100% of the motorways with PAC. Porous Asphalt Concrete has some downsides, including the initial construction costs, PAC is two to three times more expensive than regular surface materials, and needs constant maintenance, especially with heavy traffic. Sometimes, the road surface has to be renewed within 7 years, especially on routes with heavy truck traffic causing widespread track formation.

In 1979, the first traffic control center opened in Delft

Delft

Delft is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland , the Netherlands. It is located between Rotterdam and The Hague....

, where the A13 can be controlled with dynamic road signalization. These electronic signs can show a lower speed limit, as low as 50 km/h, to warn drivers for upcoming traffic jams and accidents. These electronic signs usually contain flashers to attract attention from drivers. The expansion of this system halted in the 1980s, but accelerated in the 1990s. As of 2004, 980 kilometers of motorways are suited with electronic traffic signalization. Besides this system, another system of Variable Message Signs (VMS) have been implemented, informing motorists about the driving times or traffic jam length to a certain point. It can also shows the length of various traffic jams near large interchanges, so drivers can choose an alternative route. As of 2004, there were 102 VMS signs in the Netherlands.

Another more common feature of Dutch motorways are peak, rushhour or plus lanes. These constructions allow motorists do use the hard shoulder in case of congestion, to improve the traffic flow. Numerous motorways have peak lanes, and plus lanes are extra lanes in the median, which can be opened to traffic in case of congestion. All these extra lanes are observed by CCTV cameras from a traffic control center. They improved traffic flow, but in case of accidents or breakdowns, there are fewer places to safely park your vehicle, leading to more congestion. It has been suggested that these peak lanes should eventually be replaced by a regular widening.

Congestion

Traffic congestion

Traffic congestion is a condition on road networks that occurs as use increases, and is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queueing. The most common example is the physical use of roads by vehicles. When traffic demand is great enough that the interaction...

is common in the Netherlands. The country has one of the highest population densities in the world, which generates significant traffic volumes on both motorways and regular highways. Most congestion occurs in the Randstad

Randstad

, but congestion is a daily structural problem around almost all larger cities. The Dutch motorway network is one of the densest in the world, but many motorways are lacking sufficient capacity, and many bottlenecks of 4-lane motorways are present throughout the Netherlands. Traffic volumes are extremely high compared to other European countries like 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...

or Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

, and comparable to that of the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

. Car ownership in the Netherlands is not particularly high, and lower than in surrounding countries.

Since the early 1990s shoulder running has been extensively used throughout the Netherlands on many locations. During peak hours, traffic is allowed to use the shoulder as an additional lane. Special signage and electronic signs show if motorists can use the shoulder or not. It has proven to be a short-term solution, as traffic volumes grew substantially because of a redistribution of traffic over the road network, increase of truck traffic and significant construction of new urban developments, resulting in situations where shoulders do not only need to be opened during peak hours, but also off-peak and even during weekends.

The busiest Dutch motorway is the A16

A16 motorway (Netherlands)

The A16 motorway is a motorway in the Netherlands. It runs from the interchange Terbregseplein in the northeastern part of Rotterdam, towards the Belgian border near Breda.- Speed limit :...

in 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...

, with a traffic volume of 232.000 vehicles per day. The A12

A12 motorway (Netherlands)

The A12 motorway is a motorway in the Netherlands. The road connects the city of The Hague, with the German border, near Zevenaar, and the German Autobahn BAB 3...

near Utrecht comes second at 220.000 vehicles per day. The busiest 4-lane motorway in the Netherlands is the A10

A10 motorway (Netherlands)

The A10 motorway is a motorway in the Netherlands. This motorway is the ring road around the city of Amsterdam.The motorway has a length of 32 km...

in the Coen Tunnel

Coen Tunnel

The Coen Tunnel is a tunnel under the North Sea Canal in western Amsterdam. The tunnel is named after the Coen port in the vicinity which was named after Jan Pieterszoon Coen. The tunnel itself is 1283 metres long of which 587 metres are fully covered. The tunnel connects the Zaan district with...

in 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...

with 110.000 vehicles per day. The widest Dutch motorway is the A15/A16 just south of Rotterdam with 16 lanes in a 4+4+4+4 setup.

Waterways

5046 km, of which 47% is usable by craft of 1000 metric ton capacity or larger, see List of waterways and http://www.binnenvaart.be/htm/02ws/021waterwegenkaarten.htm.
Punting and canal boats are very common, and are used by a lot of tourists.

Ports and harbors

Amsterdam

, Delfzijl

Delfzijl

Delfzijl is a municipality and city in the northeast of the Netherlands. It is situated on the left bank of the river Ems estuary, which forms the border with Germany.-Population centres:...

, Den Helder

Den Helder

Den Helder is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. Den Helder occupies the northernmost point of the North Holland peninsula...

, Dordrecht

Dordrecht

Dordrecht , colloquially Dordt, historically in English named Dort, is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, located in the province of South Holland. It is the fourth largest city of the province, having a population of 118,601 in 2009...

, Eemshaven

Eemshaven

thumb|right|[[Satellite]] [[image]] of the Ems [[estuary]] showing the location of Eemshaven Eemshaven is a seaport in Groningen, Netherlands....

, Groningen, 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...

, 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...

, Rotterdam

Rotterdam

, Terneuzen

Terneuzen

Terneuzen is a city and municipality in the southwestern Netherlands, in the province of Zeeland, in the middle of Zeelandic Flanders. With over 55,000 inhabitants, it is the most populous municipality of Zeeland.-Population centres :...

, Vlissingen, IJmuiden

Velsen

Velsen is a municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is located on both sides of the North Sea Canal.On the north side of the North Sea Canal, in IJmuiden, there is a major steel plant, Corus Strip Products IJmuiden, formerly known as Koninklijke Hoogovens...

Merchant marine

total: 563 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,035,899 GRT/

ships by type: bulk 3, cargo 343, chemical tanker 41, combination bulk 2, container 56, liquified gas 20, livestock carrier 1, multi-functional large load carrier 8, passenger 8, petroleum tanker 25, refrigerated cargo 32, roll-on/roll-off 16, short-sea passenger 3, specialized tanker 5 (1999 est.)

note: many Dutch-owned ships are also operating under the registry of Netherlands Antilles

Netherlands Antilles

The Netherlands Antilles , also referred to informally as the Dutch Antilles, was an autonomous Caribbean country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, consisting of two groups of islands in the Lesser Antilles: Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao , in Leeward Antilles just off the Venezuelan coast; and Sint...

(1998 est.)

Airports

Schiphol, the Amsterdam airport, is the main airport in the Netherlands, and the fourth largest in Europe.
There are also a number of regional airports, the most popular being Eindhoven Airport

Eindhoven Airport

-Facilities:Passenger facilities available include: Exchange office, Lost property office, Luggage lockers, Baby changing area and a Health centre. Wireless internet access is provided free of charge throughout the airport. A business lounge is available too. Major car rental companies have their...

, Maastricht Aachen Airport

Maastricht Aachen Airport

Maastricht Aachen Airport is a regional airport located northeast of the city of Maastricht, in the town of Beek, both municipalities in the Limburg province in the Netherlands. The airport is also northwest of the city of Aachen, Germany....

, Rotterdam The Hague Airport and Groningen Airport Eelde

Groningen Airport Eelde

-External links:* from Airliners.net...

.
See List of airports in the Netherlands

Ministry

Transport in the Netherlands falls under the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management.

Rail transport

Public transport

Cycling

Highways

History

Status & technology

Congestion

Waterways

Ports and harbors

Merchant marine

Airports

Ministry

See also