Public Transport in the Netherlands

Public Transport in the Netherlands

The main 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. There are also ferries.

There are 18 public transport authorities in the Netherlands: the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, OV-bureau Groningen Drenthe (OVBGD), each of the 10 other provinces, Regio Twente, Stadsregio Arnhem Nijmegen, Bestuur Regio Utrecht (BRU), Vervoerregio Amsterdam, formerly Stadsregio Amsterdam, Metropoolregio Rotterdam Den Haag (MRDH), and Samenwerkingsverband Regio Eindhoven (SRE).

They issue concessions for regions or specific lines.


The main operators are Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS), Arriva, Connexxion, Transdev, Syntus, Qbuzz and the local operators GVB, HTM, RET. Qbuzz operates public transport in Utrecht on behalf of Bestuur Regio Utrecht using the trademark U-OV.

Public transport translates as openbaar vervoer in Dutch, which is abbreviated as ov. The abbreviation appears in names related to public transport.

Modes of Public Transport in the Netherlands

Train Public Transport in the Netherlands

Rail transport for public transport is operated mainly by Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS), minor parts by Arriva, Syntus, Connexxion, DB Regio and Eurobahn. The Dutch rail network is the busiest network in the entire world.

Metro Public Transport in the Netherlands

Three rapid transit systems currently operate in the Netherlands. Both are largely grade-separated, have standard gauge, 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) track, and use 750 volt DC power supply throughout.

• Amsterdam Metro, serving Amsterdam, Diemen, and Ouder-Amstel, operated by Gemeentelijk Vervoerbedrijf (GVB)
• Rotterdam Metro, serving Rotterdam, Schiedam, Spijkenisse, Albrandswaard, and Capelle aan den IJssel, operated by Rotterdamse Elektrische Tram (RET)
• RandstadRail line E, serving Rotterdam, The Hague and the suburbs in between, running partially on the lines of the Rotterdam Metro and partially shared with tram lines 3 and 4

Both the Amsterdam and Rotterdam networks largely use third rail power supply, but include sections using overhead lines. The RandstadRail metro line E uses third rail in the sections shared with Rotterdam Metro trains, but mostly use overhead wires. These sections also have some level crossings (with priority), and could therefore also be called sneltram (light rail) instead of metro, however, they are integrated in the metro system and use vehicles that can switch between both systems.

Trams and Light Rail Public Transport in the Netherlands

Three cities in the Netherlands operate large tram networks. They all run on standard gauge, 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) track, and use overhead wires electrified at 600 V DC.

• Amsterdam Tram network (operated by GVB), serving Amsterdam, Diemen, Amstelveen
• Rotterdam Tram network (operated by RET), serving Rotterdam, Schiedam, Vlaardingen, Barendrecht
• The Hague Tram network (operated by HTM), serving The Hague, Rijswijk, Leidschendam-Voorburg, Delft, Nootdorp, Wateringen

There are also two light rail networks in the Netherlands. They all run on standard gauge, 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) track, and use overhead wires electrified at 750 V DC.

• Utrecht sneltram (operated by U-OV - Qbuzz), with lines connecting Utrecht Centraal Railway Station to Nieuwegein, IJsselstein and Uithof
• RandstadRail lines 3 and 4, serving The Hague, Zoetermeer and the suburbs in between, running partially on the lines of the Hague tram network and partially shared with metro line E

In the Netherlands, the only difference between a tram and a light rail line is considered to be that light rail doesn't share its lane with other traffic. Some lines could be partially seen as light rail such as Amsterdam Tram line 26, which is only mixed with other traffic on both its balloon loops. However, Amsterdam Tram line 25 does not operate in mixed traffic and operates as light rail using bidirectional trams that can be coupled in pairs.

Bus Public Transport in the Netherlands

Both regional and city public transport bus services can be found throughout the country. Because of the extensive rail network, long-distance bus services are limited to a few connections where train connections are missing or would require a considerable detour. In the Randstad area lines with a high frequency and higher average speed have been branded as R-Net.

All bus operations (except for in the cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague) are awarded by a transport authority to companies by a public tender. The concessions can last up to 10 years, with extensions of a few years if the transport authority is satisfied.

• Operators include: Arriva, Connexxion, GVB, Hermes (including Breng), HTM, Qbuzz, RET, EBS and Syntus.

Arnhem is the only city that still operates trolleybuses and maintains an extensive network.

The Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment has decided that from 2025 all new buses need to be zero emission. This encourages operators to invest in electric vehicles. In December 2016, the first large electric (non-trolley) bus fleet was launched in Eindhoven, with 43 vehicles, followed in December 2017 by a fleet of 100 vehicles for services around Schiphol Airport.

R-net Public Transport in the Netherlands

R-net or Randstadnet is a collaborative project of governments and public transport operators providing high-quality public transport in the Randstad area of the Netherlands. Lines in the Randstad area with a high frequency and higher average speed have been branded as R-Net. These lines (be they bus, tram, metro or train) all use the R-net red-grey colour scheme and carry the R-net logo, regardless of the company operating the line.: over R-net 

R-net is an initiative of the cooperating provinces of Flevoland, North Holland and South Holland, plus the Rotterdam–The Hague metropolitan area and Vervoerregio Amsterdam (Amsterdam regional transport). Carriers offering R-net services are Allgobus, Arriva, Connexxion, EBS, GVB, HTM, NS, Qbuzz and RET.: over R-net 

According to its website, R-net requires certain standards to be met. Services must be reliable and punctual, fast, frequent, accessible (e.g. for wheelchairs) and attractive with respect to stop design and comfort.: 5 zekerheden  All R-net stops must be fully accessible, and equipped with waiting shelters and digital displays showing real-time travel information.: over R-net  Transfers between R-net services must be quick and easy.

In Amsterdam, Vervoerregio Amsterdam decided to use the R-net livery and logo on all metro trains but on only one tram line (25). The GVB blue-white livery is used on all other Amsterdam Tram lines. In the GVB's order for 72 15G trams from CAF, 25 trams have in R-net livery with the remainder in GVB livery.