ProRail planning trains every 7.5 minutes in large parts of the Randstad
ProRail is working on increasing rail traffic to trains running every 7.5 minutes in large parts of the Randstad and busy routes outside it, ProRail’s program manager Anne Zwiers told the Telegraaf.
The rail manager is still in the midst of the High-Frequency Rail Program, which aims to run a train every ten minutes on various lines. This has been implemented on various routes, and ProRail is ready to take on the next step.
Trains are already operating on a 7.5-minute timetable between Schiphol Airport and Amsterdam Central Station. “We see that with limited measures, it’s possible to grow to 8 Sprinters and 8 Intercity trains per hour on various corridors,” Zwiers said.
She mentioned routes like Amsterdam-Utrecht-Arnhem or Schiphol-Utrecht-Den Bosch, and throughout the metropolitan region around The Hague and Rotterdam.
ProRail is also working on making this possible on the Oude Lijn between Leiden and Dordrecht, which would improve accessibility in the entire region. Upgrading the Oude Lijn has been part of Dutch infrastructure plans for years, but funding remains an issue, according to the newspaper.
ProRail also investigated running twelve sprinters per hour between The Hague and Dordrecht, but last year, officials concluded that it was not yet feasible. Running a train every five minutes would require enormous and expensive infrastructure adjustments.
