Arriva will not run sprinter trains in northern Netherlands until at least 2029

Arriva will not run sprinter train services on the Zwolle to Leeuwarden and Groningen lines in the coming years, citing a lack of available trains, according to a letter from State Secretary Annet Bertram (Public Transport, CDA) to the Tweede Kamer. Train services on these northern lines will remain under NS control until at least 2033.

Previous governments had intended to award the sprinter services to NS, but the College of Appeal for Business (CBb) ruled that the decision had been made prematurely, prompting renewed discussions with Arriva.

Bertram wrote that the trains Arriva intends to use on the northern routes are needed on the Nijmegen to Roermond line by 2027, and ordering new trains would take three years. “New rolling stock could not enter service before 2029,” she said.

Arriva expressed disappointment at the decision. A spokesperson said, “We do not see at all that there would be an issue with insufficient rolling stock.” She added that if work on the Nijmegen-Roermond line is delayed, the sprinter trains could remain in the north. “You have to look at how much of that actually follows the plan.”

The spokesperson also suggested that NS could transfer trains to Arriva, but Bertram noted that the ministry cannot compel NS to provide rolling stock to another operator.

In 2022, Arriva said it could provide a “major boost” to public transport in Noord-Nederland, offering more frequent stops and faster service for sprinter trains. The company said that proposal remains on the table.