This is a very typical Dutch InterCity train nowadays. This is a so called VIRM train or Verlengd InterRegio Materieel (Lengthened interregional rolling stock). They were built by Talbot (a part of the Canadian Bombardier group) since 1994 forming four and six coach fixed sets of electric multiple units. They are designed for a maximum speed of 200 km/h, but in practise their operational speed rarely exceeds 140 km/h. Their power rating s 2388 kW for the six coach and 1592 kW for the four coach version. They work only under 1,5 kV DC, therefore they are useless for the newest fast tracks in the Netherlands and neighbouring Belgium, but they have been equipped with extra space thought to be used for the equipment to enable them to run also under 25 kV AC. Today most Dutch InterCity and InterRegio routes use these VIRM trains, although some still have the older ICM / Koploper trainsets.
Picture from Leiden station 8.10.2015 by Ilkka Siissalo.


FUNET railway pictures archive - The Netherlands

The small country Netherlands has a dense network of train tracks, 3223 route kilometres equalling 6830 km of track. Three quarters have been electrified. In contrast with most other European countries, train services in the Netherlands are pretty much focused on passenger traffic. Anyone wanting to travel a longer distance in that country will automatically take the train - bus services are mainly just local. According to fairly recent statistics 438 million passengers per year used the train in the Netherlands. All of the network is normal gauge 1435 mm and there are only 158 km of freight only tracks in the country. It truly is a railroad country. The state railroad company is called Nederlandse Spoorwegen or NS, but there are also a number of open access operators in the country. Major passenger rail operators include in addition to NS also Arriva (a part of the German DB), Connexxion, Syntus and the Transdev group. The largest cargo rail operator nowadays is the German DB Cargo as it bought the cargo part of the state railways NS. But there are also a number of smaller cargo operators as well as international rail cargo players active in the Netherlands.


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Large parts of the small country actually have their rail services performed by some other operator than the state NS. This picture is from the city of Groningen in the north of the country. In those regions only the InterCity services to Amsterdam are served by NS and all other rail passenger traffic is handled by Arriva, which is a daughter company of the German DB. This "Spurt" train is a Swiss made Stadler GTW 2/8 diesel multiple unit of Arriva, here running a local service between Groningen and Nieuweschans.
Picture from Groningen 6.8.2009 by Sanna Siissalo.


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