Dutch set for faster IC services and Schiphol and Amsterdam Central redevelopment

Departing from Breda and running via HSL- South, the new service will reduce the journey time to Zwolle, Assen, Groningen and Leeuwarden by almost half an hour compared with current trains that use the Breda - Zwolle route.

New ICNG EMUs built by Alstom will use the Hanseatic Line between Lelystad and Zwolle, which opened in December 2012. The line is fitted with both legacy ATB signalling enabling 160km/h operation and ETCS Level 2 enabling 200km/h operation and a four-minute reduction in journey times. ICNG will be introduced into commercial operations in the Netherlands from the 2021 timetable and is currently undergoing tests at the VUZ test centre in Velim, Czech Republic.

From 2023, four train services per hour will use HSL-South from Breda via Amsterdam to Zwolle. Other HSL-South through services will serve Utrecht Central via Hilversum twice per hour. All IC Direct services will serve Amsterdam South and Schiphol Airport.

The 2023 timetable will also include a restructuring of train services at Schiphol Airport. The domestic IC Direct services on HSL-Zuid will increase from five to six trains per hour per direction. In addition, Schiphol - Amsterdam Central IC and IC Direct services will cease and will be replaced by a new Airport Sprinter service, which will operate eight times per hour and call at all stations. After arriving at Schiphol Airport, the train continues to Hoofddorp where it will reverse. This development is a step towards turning Amsterdam South into the capital’s main station.

Around €500m is earmarked to redevelop Schiphol Airport railway station and public transport facilities. The underground railway station, which is the fifth largest on the Dutch network, will gain additional access points from the ground floor of the combined railway station/airport terminal. Access gates will also be installed. Overcrowding often means passengers cannot enter the airport station platforms with daily patronage is expected to increase from 109,000 to 130,000 in the next 10 years.

Amsterdam Central will also undergo a major revamp beginning in 2023. Platforms will be widened as they currently struggle to cope with the large volumes of passengers. Work will also take place to remove through tracks and straighten existing tracks which serve platforms. Freight operators and NS oppose the plans. However, Prorail has approved the project.