Arriva

Earlier this month ProRail performed its first tests with travelers on a self-driving train, and with great success, the rail manager said.

For five days, around 60 travelers per day rode the train running on Automatic Train Operation (ATO) between Groningen and Buitenpost and reported their experiences. The rail manager also researched the technology, the acceleration and braking systems, punctuality, energy consumption, and stopping in exactly the right place.

A niqab-wearing woman was forced to leave a public bus operated by Arriva in Stein, Limburg on Monday. The bus driver in question called the police when the woman refused to leave the bus, the public transit firm confirmed to NU.nl and the Telegraaf.

The bus driver asked the woman to get off the bus and stopped the vehicle when she refused to do so, according to NU.nl. The police were called in and responding officers then escorted the woman off the bus. This was "not in accordance with the guidelines", an Arriva spokesperson said.

Startling security camera footage surfaced on Wednesday showing the moment a passenger train collided with a semi-trailer truck. The crash happened in Leeuwarden, Friesland late last week, resulting in several minor injuries.

A large cloud can be seen emanating from the semi-trailer at the moment of impact. The truck was hauling milk powder near a FrieslandCampina dairy facility. The video was first broadcast by Omroep Fryslan.

A suspicious package was found at the provincial house on Visarenddreef in Lelystad on Monday morning. The police closed down the area around the building, including part of the nearby train station. Multiple banners with slogans about nature reserve Oostvaardersplassen were also found hanging on the provincial house, a spokesperson for the Midden Nederland police said to NU.nl.

The police are allowing pedestrians into the train station, but motorists are being stopped, according to Omroep Flevoland.

On Friday Arriva is running an adjusted timetable with fewer trains on its routes in Groningen and Friesland. The public transit company is struggling with equipment problems caused by the persistent heat, Arriva said on its website.

"In order to be able to offer the most reliable timetable possible, Arriva is therefore working on a modified timetable on Friday", the company said. Arriva train traffic was also affected by these equipment problems on Thursday, according to RTV Noord.

Regional public transit workers across the Netherlands will strike from Wednesday, unions CNV and FNV confirmed. Mediators' attempt to make a new collective bargaining agreement for this sector failed, ANP reports.

CNV called on its members to strike for 72 hours starting on Wednesday morning. "Unfortunately, we would've like to see this end differently", CNV negotiator Jean-Marie Severijns said. 

In February a man was arrested on suspicion of setting a number of Arriva buses on fire last year. The suspect is a former bus driver who was fired from Arriva at the end of 2016, Brabants Dagblad reports based on various sources.

According to the newspaper, the 29-year-old man worked as a driver on Arriva's regional lines. He was fired late in 2016 because a broken relationship with another employee led to problems on the work floor.

Regional buses and -trains will not be operating across the Netherlands on Monday and Tuesday. The court gave workers permission to strike, AD reports.

The regional bus and train drivers are striking for a lower workload, more training and breaks to use the bathroom. Unions FVN and CNV announced the strike earlier this week.

Transit company Arriva closed the toilets on its trains to prevent poop and urine freezing in the collection system in the extremely cold weather the Netherlands is currently experiencing. Stickers on the toilets inform passengers that they cannot be used, NOS reports.

Closing the toilets is a precaution, an Arriva spokesperson said to the broadcaster. "It is really extremely cold for our country. So we are preventing damage and the trains having to be taken out of service." Arriva expects this measure will be in effect until Saturday. 

Dutch labor union FNV has announced a massive regional transit strike scheduled to take place on Thursday that will shut down many public transportation routes including tram lines in Utrecht. The planned action is because workers could not get guarantees to reduce job stress, and a proposed salary increase is smaller than demanded.

On Monday trade unions CNV Vakmensen and FNV announced labor actions and a possible nationwide, 24 hour long public transit strike on January 4th. These actions are the result of talks on a new collective bargaining agreement for public transit workers collapsing last month, Financieele Dagblad reports. 

The current collective bargaining agreement expires on January 1st. It covers over 12 thousand public transit employees.