This is the INCREDIBLE new Dutch high-speed train!

[@JulianGommers]

As an employee of NS I'd like to reflect on soms points you mentioned in the video. First the cleaning regime you mentioned. The bins in the trains are emptied every head stop (at big stations) and all trains are cleaned thoroughly every 48 hours. ICNG trains drive around 17 hours per day continuously, traveling around 800-1200km daily with very little stopping time at the end of it's routs. As you mentioned it sees a lot of people who are all allowed to eat and drink on the trains. Therefor the chances of it getting dirty with breadcrumbs or other spills is very big. It's possible to clean it more often but that would also mean the trains would run less frequent than they are doing now (every 30 minutes or 34 times per day, one way). Another possibility would be to make the halting time longer for cleaning but that requires space to halt where the train can be cleaned and this space is not provided by the Dutch rail infrastructure management company ProRail. Some people mentioned in the comments here that graffiti vandalism is a big problem and I can confirm this. Graffiti vandalism is removed as soon as possible with at least a hand full of trains being cleaned daily. Trains with blocked windows or offensive texts get priority and are almost directly taken out of service if possible. But remember that taking a train out of circulation also means you need to have another train which has to replace it and this is not always available. ICNG is coated with special plastic wrapping which can be removed and re-applied to speed up this cleaning proces as graffiti is extremely difficult to remove from the outside of the train. NS looses multiple millions of euro's every year on cleaning of graffiti vandalism. NS is a private company accountable to the Dutch government (Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management). It has one shareholder: the Dutch government (Ministry of Finance). We are obliged to make a profit, which is returned to the government. NS receives almost no subsidies, therefor the prices of the tickets are as high as they are. Yearly we have to pay a fee of ~€200 million to be allowed to drive on the Dutch trail systems and have to pay ~€300 million to the infrastructure manager ProRail (also private) for usage of the electricity. For every km we drive on the HSL-track between Rotterdam-Amsterdam, the Dutch government charges an extra fee on top of the regular fee, which is the supplement that travelers pay. Most shops on the train stations are owned by NS Stations and run a profit. But unfortunately using this profit to make travel tickets less expensive has been prohibited by the Dutch government, as well as using the income from advertisement.

[@SeverityOne]

While this is all true and understandable, and the Netherlands have the busiest railway network in Europe (measured in trains per network km) by a large margin, the long and short of it is that Dutch trains just feel dirty. As a native Dutchman, I emigrated at the end of 2000, but try to make it back as often as is practical to visit my family. Understandably, I didn't make it between the end of 2019 and the end of 2022. And what I noticed is that the entire country felt dirtier. It started right when arriving at Schiphol, and continued throughout our stay. Forget about graffiti: trains are often filthy from the outside. Again, I understand the challenges and circumstances, but as the occasional user, it feels like I'm paying an awful lot for a service that feels like it could do better. Maybe people are more inconsiderate these days (which is probably a _very_ large part of it), and after almost 25 years away, you start to look differently at things. And dirty Dutch trains is something that gets mentioned a lot in videos like these.

[@JulianGommers]

@@SeverityOne Yes the dirty trains are a thing of the last few years and is indeed an issue. One of the main reasons is that this is happening is that the cleaning detergent which is being used was under investigation for environment effects. Due to that investigation all cleaning had to be stopped for a long time. Also the six cleaning installations in which all of the trains from NS are cleaned are very old and have many operational issues. But as this is an installation managed by ProRail it was quite difficult to get them to repair/replace them. It's possible to clean the trains by hand but this takes a lot longer. When the team of cleaners (external company) are cleaning the outside they can not clean the inside at the same time so a choice had to be made to prefer inside cleaning or outside cleaning. The decision was made to put priority on the inside instead of the outside, resulting in dirtier outsides but clean insides. In the past year the cleaning has improved again as the above described problems have been partially solved. Also there are investigations going on where a special coating is being used on which dirt sticks less and washes off easier. Unfortunately these efforts and the fact that it has improved in the last year are not mentioned in the comments underneath video's like these.

[@dutmala]

I ride a icd daily and although they are being fased out they all need a deep clean, some of them have graffiti from months back...

[@Reinturtle]

Still waiting until the day highways are expected to make a profit...

[@XtraGameX]

Please note that a State-owned company, even though its legal form is an anonymous venture ('naamloze vennootschap'), can be a public company; as is the case for NS. It is regulated by state and law, through public law. Its employees are 'semi-civil servants' under a special 1938 status. (By the way, a 'naamloze vennootschap' also literally is a "public company" in the corporate sense of the word.)

[@Dylans-Depot]

ICNG train driver here. My honest opinion is that it's an okay train. Not great, okay. The acceleration on the HSL above 140 km/h is worthless. When going uphill while giving all power that it has it slows down! Parts of the protective coating on the paint are starting to give way, and even the sunscreens in the cab are literally falling apart (Bet you that's a nice little nod back to the V250 haha). Apart from that and some minor technical issues it's a pretty neat train. Quite comfortable and somehow still a lot of space. And maybe most important, it's not a HSL dedicated train like the V250 was. Meaning the ICNG can and will be used in domestic trains which do not run on the HSL. Nice trip report! Not sure why my colleague in Breda was being rude. Guess he wanted someone to boss around... EDIT: The door lock on the toilet wasn't broken. You have to hold the handle a bit longer until you hear the mechanism of the lock ''click''. Most people do not know this and is on of the main issues with the smaller toilet

[@ralphzechendorf1644]

Hello, thanks for your insider view. I read there used to be a problem for TRAXX-hauled trains to climb on the flyover (either at Breda or Rotterdam?). If they arrive too slow, they get stuck. Does the ICNG have the same issue, or does it have enough power (below 140kph) to climb the flyover ? (I think there is a similar issue to exit the tunnel under Antwerpen ?)

[@Dylans-Depot]

@@ralphzechendorf1644 The 186 class hauled trains did sometimes get stuck on the fly over from conventional to high speed track. In the middle of this fly over there's a voltage changeover, meaning you cannot accelerate there. And at the start of that fly over there's a signal. When the driver stops right where the signal is there's not much distance to make speed to freewheel over that fly over. This can be avoided by slowing down or even stopping at one signal earlier. Or giving absolute full power at the start of the fly over and letting ETCS shut down the high voltage, sometimes with the result of the main breaker switch getting burnt out. Costing about 50K to replace!

[@ralphzechendorf1644]

@@Dylans-Depot Wow, thanks for the technical information !

[@crytocc]

Out of curiosity, why _do_ you need to hold the handle for a bit longer? I assume there's a purpose to that design, but I can't work out what it would be.

[@houseclearance7509]

And to think that 200km/h is an achievement is a joke! In the UK we had HST Intercity 125 almost 50 years ago in 1976 and that was on a diesel network. This is electric. The left hand running is because the NMBS run on the wrong side of the road as far as the NS is concerned maybe? Thats probably because they like driving in the UK too?

[@BuzzinsPetRock78]

As I said before: don't bother with first class in Dutch trains. It only makes sense if you travel during rush hour and the seats in second class are filled. Or if you get your employer to pay for it. Other than that, just get a second class ticket.

[@geirmyrvagnes8718]

And correct me if I'm wrong: If you use your card/phone to get through the barriers (and remember to bleep the toeslag thing) that is what you automatically have?

[@killeronthebeach]

@@geirmyrvagnes8718 What do you mean with automatically have? Normally if you use your card/phone or OV-chipkaart you have a pass for the second class, unless you pay extra for first class. So the 'standard' is second class

[@geirmyrvagnes8718]

@@killeronthebeach Yes, I think we agree. The video was talking about buying tickets online and overpriced paper tickets, but you can "just" go through the gates with your choice of payment method and get on second class. No seat reservation means there is nothing to be gained by making it more complicated than that.

[@killeronthebeach]

@@geirmyrvagnes8718 Ah I see what you mean, then yes, we both have the same point :). I have never bought first class tickets because I think it's a waste of money. And most students (like me) can travel free because of the 'studentenov', and they travel free in second class.

[@crytocc]

I suspect that the existence of first class on Dutch trains is pretty much just as a way for companies to subsidize the railways via business travel (which is not necessarily a bad thing, mind, but it means that we 'regular people' are not the target demographic).

[@audamus6452]

I am actually not really surprised that these trains are as noisy as you described them.The whole concept of this train is actually more of a regional train - basically everywhere else, like in Italy, those are used for regional service (top speed 160km/h). It seems like to me, Alstom bumped up the top speed of one of their regional models to fit the specifications to call it "High-Speed". That could be an explanation for the rattling sounds at higher speeds.

[@DJTrainBrain]

That's exactly what they did. Alstom basically took their Coradia product, which are regional trains, sooped them up a bit, and there we go, now we have the Coradia Stream with which we *can* achieve the 200km/h that the customer wants, but which is cheaper. (Shhh, don't tell 'em that that's because it's still a regional train at heart!) It's basically the same as what Hitachi did with their A-train family of regional trains, and that's what screwed up the UK's long-distance trains. Same 200km/h segment of the market. It's just that Alstom was sensible enough to at least put somewhat luxurious seeming seats in and make the suspension a little bit smoother, so at least the first impressions for the masses are still that it's a proper, luxurious train. But the seats are still less comfy than those of proper long-distance trains and the ride is still jittery as it is with regional trains, even if it's a bit smoothed out.

[@jakob7116]

Well he said they were noisy at low speeds too right

[@audamus6452]

@@DJTrainBrain Well seating is in the hands of the customer. If Nederlandse Spoorwegen wanted bathtubs and golden seats, Alstom would've fitted those as well. But you can make the interior as luxurious as it gets - you can't hide the regional train origins of the coradia-plattform.

[@MrJimheeren]

They also tend to bump a little bit, but according to NS Alstom already stiffened up the suspension a bit and new arrived trains shouldn’t have this problem anymore. To be fair a regional train that can go fast is a perfect solution for the NS. Since our cities are all close to each other quick acceleration plus a decent high speed are perfect. And believe these trains have some nifty power in their boogies

[@UnePintade]

​@@DJTrainBrainyeah, as long as CoRail cars are still in use in France, Alstom is not going to build new trains in the comfort intercity market

[@IndianGeek5589]

You should have complained about the previous rude staff member to the new staff 😂

[@Londoncycleroutes]

good to leave it be imo - there may be an actual rule against filming and you wouldn't want to remind the next train crew about it!

[@theblazingangels4286]

@@Londoncycleroutes in rules of dutch railways standing its not allowd to film inside + no crew members. If u do some ppl dont like it.

[@gentuxable]

@@theblazingangels4286 Is it because their trains are always dirty and they don't want you to document that?

[@tmigmart]

You enter a wrong train, an employee demands you to leave, and in your prespective he's wrong and you're rigth. You make an error and the fault is not your's to blame...nice

[@soluckyme910]

Indonesia bulet train whoosh top speed 350 km/h👍

[@olafzijnbuis]

Next time get the ID of the rude employee and report him to the station master.

[@frederique.michelle.louise]

Si on devait signaler tout les employés impolis, il y aurait un sacré Turn-over dans les entreprises.

[@whatyousay998]

Nothing will happen to them. While most NS staff are cool, many of them are just crazy people looking to vent their anger on others.

[@AnimilesYT]

They already lack staff, so I doubt anything will happen to them. Nevertheless it's still a good idea to report it

[@Drago1995]

i sended the video to them on Twitter lol

[@berberbro]

@@AnimilesYT exactly! nothing will happen. Even the "Netflix conductors" are seen as a new reality.

[@RobinPalmerTV]

Imagine a first class seat with actual padding. The UK could never...

[@camotech1314]

UK people love sitting on benches

[@berberbro]

I find the GWR first class very comfy with plenty of padding, not sure about the other British companies.

[@lucasrem]

@@camotech1314 They need a Privat door, and block others to get in ! the old days, theatcher !

[@Abandoned23345]

They can but DfT chose those shitty seats over those which are more comfortable

[@TransportTech]

TfW just vanished lol

[@wilbertdriessen8719]

Thank you for this top review about this new train. Only one subject I missed in your review. A few weeks ago I travelled from Rotterdam to Breda in this type of train. I was sitting at the window side. An irritating cold breeze of air came out the airco system beneath the window. It was not possible to switch it off at my seat.

[@MozzaBurger88]

Even the pigeons are enjoying their time in Breda's station 👌

[@mr47blond]

You forgot to mention the permanent nuclear winter atmosphere, specially implemented on Sloterijk Station to feel extra welcome. For the rest, a top class review again!

[@hugobouma]

So many fond memories of waiting for 45 minutes on a deserted, windy Sloterdijk platform around midnight for the last train that'll get me out of there. It's pretty grim indeed.

[@mikkol3]

Just wanted to add that this train is being called ‘wesp’ (wasp in english) due to the similarities. We dutch love our nicknames just like the old hondekop (dogs head) from the past

[@playerscobongameplay]

I will send this to my dutch friends

[@TeamWolfmountain]

@@ncard00 i mean they kinda gave up on fixing the IC4 at this point as they say: it is not worth the time and money to keep on this failure. The IC3 also gets replaced by something new for the parts that are not electrified yet but for that theres no news yet i kinda will miss these comfy trains

[@mennoverburg4918]

As someone who spends A LOT of time on trains all throughout the Netherlands my main criticism is the trains' lack of capacity compared to the Koploper or other HSL trains. It's great when it's quiet, but rush hour in these things is hell

[@andy7bianca]

very ironic your starter station was named Breda and the previous failed High speed train was by Ansaldo-Breda, same name but no correlation ofc

[@qlum]

Well the Breda part of ansaldo-breda is named after a guy with Breda as his surname, I am sure that refers to the same city at least.

[@hugobouma]

@@qlum Nope, it just happens to be an Italian name as well.

[@gentuxable]

AnsaldoBreda became an InsultToBreda.

[@rubikfan1]

2:09 every city in the netherlands have bus stations next to train station. because it just makes sence

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Indeed it does make sense! :)

[@barendnu]

Tip: you can now simply check in and check out using contactless payments, e.g. with a debit or credit card. This works at the gates at the train station, but also on all other forms of public transport, by all operators, everywhere in The Netherlands. I think this makes it very easy to use for tourists, and it saves €1 compared to using the ticket machine. (The IC Direct HSL supppement can be bought at the pole you showed at 13:19). Thanks for the nice video!

[@khulhucthulhu9952]

but you can't do it for first class iirc

[@barendnu]

Correct!

Which is super awesome! Makes using public transport so convenient!

[@3217491]

@@khulhucthulhu9952 if you have a card linked to their website you can set up a subscription to get first class access. (OV-kaart, public transportcard. Not your debit card, although you can link your debit to your OV-kaart, so it's still pretty much like using your debit card)

[@LondonAndSouthEastTransport]

I managed to ride on one of these when I went to Eindhoven a few weeks ago, these are very nice and kind of remind me of Stadler FLIRTs, maybe because of the bogey layout Great trains and great video!

[@jayveehaitch]

Great video. Sorry about the crew from the first train. There are plenty of guys making railway videos in the Netherlands. Most NS staff members can act normally. Some are even enthusiastic about it. Unfortunately, there are some bad apples here and there. Anyway, thank you for the video.

[@SpotterCrazyperson]

It sure is a nice modern train. Proud of the trains in my country

[@TeamWolfmountain]

Ok report this to NS please! This is an absolute no no to have staff act like this and will result in the member being reprimended for it.

[@johnbowyer6902]

I don't know why the Dutch government does not implement a daily cleaning routine on all of its services. The graffiti vandalism in the washrooms and other parts of the interior and exterior of the trains gives a black mark on the NS. This needs to be cracked down on and criminally prosecuted as well.😮

[@lws7394]

Strictly NS is a private company with the state owning shares ... Try to find cleaning staff (for the wages offered). A lot of sectors have big problems to find staff .. restaurants , police , construction, etc ..and train operators ..

[@paulthiel5145]

​@@lws7394Well, the crux is in the part between brackets: for the wages offered.......

[@generalsquirrel9548]

@@lws7394not only that. In Netherlands we more have a tram schedule for trains rather than a normal train schedule. So not a ton time is available for cleaning too. But i do prefer NS be nationalized again.

[@camotech1314]

Lots of people out there out of work so they should definitely be able to employ some people.

[@paulthiel5145]

@@camotech1314 actually, that's only 3.7% of the working age population right now. Employees can actually choose.

[@button85]

Good to see that some of the train staff in Holland are equally grumpy as some in the UK

[@gulaschkarauski1384]

How rude of the train staff, to kick you out

[@tenny_tenten]

That staff must be a someone who likes to make the train a secret and probably thinks that a train is a private house, he'll get the audacity tho backfire him

[@whatyousay998]

Very Dutch actually. Even Germans find the Netherlands as a very rude place. Imagine that.

[@CAPTAiNC]

Filming strangers you dont know is a very rude thing in the netherlands in general. Most people dont mind, but if you push a camera in their face for no reason, they wont like it

[@Noviano05]

those are the same people that tell you that you have no ways!

[@whatyousay998]

@@CAPTAiNC He was filming an empty train. Stop defending the abusive behaviour of egomaniacal staff.

[@darkknight8139]

Great review, thanks! These new trains are really cool to look at, but they have their flaws. The old Koploper trains are a lot more comfortable, they still are my absolute favourite. Being Dutch I want to be pround of NS, but I can't. Just because of all the things you mention :( Train travel is far too expensive for what you get, especially 1st class which is always exactly 70% more expensive than 2nd class but offers little more than 10cm extra seat width and a somewhat less crowded space to be in. Of course there are rail operators in Europe that offer far worse comfort and/or service, but their price point is lower. It is great that you can reach so many places in NL easily by train, but not in a way we all want. Don't get me started on cleanliness. You nailed all the pronuncations by the way, hats off :) That is not easy. Only Moerdijkbrug was not quite right, but that is a nightmare to pronounce for English speakers. The sounds oe and ij do not exist in English, here you get both of them in one word.

[@berberbro]

Cleanliness is something NS regards as 'nice to have' I think.

[@KitanTm]

Still absolutely unacceptable for those prices...

[@rubikfan1]

13:44 second class is very good in the netherlands. most people take it.

[@Rens787]

A helpful tip for long people in this train, do not sit on a higher seat, you’ll bump your head

[@SpiritmanProductions]

Goeie tip. En hier is een Engelse: mensen zijn 'tall', niet 'long'. ;-)

[@fToo]

@9:46 one normal socket and one USB socket per pair of economy seats - huge upgrade (if they work) over older NS trains

[@xaronx540]

Well and appealingly made video. You have a good "radio voice" with practical remarks. Grade A! For that reason, I might want to watch more of your videos.

[@YoloDennis]

People saying "brurhrrudurhrhrbb this isnt high speed" yall do not realize the Netherlands is not large at all, so even if its not "quick enough" you still get to your next city within very times

[@AndreVendraaa]

3:43 those trains are now in Italy operated by trenitalia as frecciarossa (ETR 700 “scarpone” or “albatross”)

[@maxart3392]

Or "Multipla". Their nose really looks awful.

[@Divinebelf]

Great to see you travelling in our nice Netherlands! Thanks for another great video.

[@rubikfan1]

8:00 for those who want to know. an regular train: intercity 120-140km/h, and most sprinters are closer to 100 km/h

[@pianistsdream]

Great to see you travel from my town of Breda. I regularly use these trains and they are a huge leap forward over the old ones. We called the line Intercity Defect so often did they break down or simply not run. Take one of these trains around 18.30 out of Amsterdam with an expensive first class ticket and you will find the carriage packed full with people standing (and sitting) without a first class ticket, but there is no control anymore as I think conductors are suffering a lot of abuse these days and prefer to hide somewhere and I don't blame them. This line has cut my travel to Amsterdam down from two hours to just over one hour, that's great.

[@lorettabes4553]

Oh yeah, I wish we kept using the old trains for rush hour from Breda

[@szabopal85]

I will miss the double decker intercities, these were my all time favourites😢

[@SuperalbsTravels]

They're not going to be removed for many years yet! :)

[@rikdammer1035]

I grew up in Breda, in an area nearby the railway tracks. At night, we could hear the freight trains run by. Takes me back! I now live in Amsterdam, so I will soon be travelling on this very train to visit family. Thank you for making this video, very nostalgic and at the same time cool to see the new technologies!

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Haha, that's cool. Glad you enjoyed, and have a nice trip! :)

[@matpk]

@@SuperalbsTravels WoW much better than anything in Chi Na🎉

[@TRANSPORTEXCELLENCE2011]

The Fyra only entered service for only *39 days* .

[@antoniovitellaro]

To be fair tough, they have been operating from 2019 to today in italy without any major flaws. Even if having ridden them a few times i can confirm they are shit, but for less than a quarter of the cost of a new frecciarossa 1000 you could argue it was a bargain for trenitalia

[@daves9172]

rode it in italy, fantastic train

[@frederique.michelle.louise]

I would like to pay tribute to this beautiful Italian with Japanese origins. A dazzling achievement, botched tests, like his journey, originally the idea was brilliant but the choice of materials and the lack of reliability was a mistake. casting but Fyra's name will never be spoken again, because it has become synonymous with Fiasco! But history teaches us the mistakes of our past. Let's go back to the origins of this fiasco to understand how a high-speed train service ended before it began. In 2004, HSA and SNCB/NMBS ordered 19 v210 autonomous vehicles from the Italian manufacturer AnsoldoBreda, a subsidiary of the Japanese group Hitachi. After this acquisition, the test of 16 trains was planned for HSA, before obtaining the concession in 2007 for the Belgian high-speed lines: LGV4 from the Dutch company HSL. HSA High-SpeedLine Alliance, was 90% owned by NS Nederlandse Spoorwegen and 10% by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, the Dutch airline. Within NS, HSA was a subsidiary of NS Hispeed. In this context, Dutch cooperation within Thalys, now Eurostar, was transferred there. But we had to give a name to this commercial service, it was Fyra. But the v210 trainsets planned before the start of the concession are experiencing delivery delays due to manufacturing problems, forcing the two operators HSA and NMBS to rent TRAXX 2 locomotives in combination with ICm UIC Couleur Fyra cars confirmed for a speed of 160 km/h. The aim was to run freshly painted trains on the new line. Since 2008, the service has mainly operated on part of the new HSL4 line between Amsterdam Central Station via Schiphol International Airport and Rotterdam Central Station. This service was extended in 2009 from Rotterdam via Breda and Antwerp in collaboration with SNCB. But profitability was not there and operational problems began to accumulate when the v210 trains entered service at the end of 2012 after a cumulative delay of 6 years, but without the prior completion of lengthy works. rolling tests of Italian equipment, proving their conformity. By neglecting HSA tests to incur liability, which leads to repeated problems and breakdowns, proof of a lack of reliability, the trains will be permanently stopped without having seen the spring. In January 2013, the circulation authorization of the v210 was canceled for serious safety violations and negligence. After legal action by NMBS and NS, v210 met the specifications of the specification and HSA was the only responsible operator. The LGV4 operating concession and the Fyra commercial name will be definitively withdrawn at the end of 2013 and the colors will return to NS with the ICRmmH operated by Trein Bennelux jointly with NS & NMBS, which operates between Brussels and Amsterdam. In 2014, Nederlandse Spoorwegen NS Dutch Railways has ordered 99 Corradia flow units, produced in Poland, in different versions from Alstom, which NS will call ICNG InterCity New Generation. These 99 trains have a lowered floor for better accessibility, can travel at 200 km/h at 1.5 kV DC and 25 kV AC, the latter voltage being used on high-speed LGV4 lines. Initially, the commissioning of the ICNGs took place gradually during the winter of 2022-2023 on the Dutch part between Breda and Amsterdam. Then in 2025 for the Belgian part, Antwerp, Brussels with the ICNG-B. The ICNG trainsets will be built in Poland since 2019 and will be delivered and tested in the NS workshops equipped and repainted, without neglecting a long test campaign started at the end of 2020. On a beautiful Saturday morning on July 2, 2022, the Intercity New Generation ICNG was presented on track 15 of Rotterdam Central Station. It is not yet clear when this high-tech train, with a maximum speed of 200 kilometers per hour, will be put into service. Deputy Director of NS, Bert Groenewegen, expressed to SpoorPro the hope that the train will be deployed on the Dutch railway network according to the 2022, 2023 timetable but also cross-border by 2024, 2025. This has been done for the part Dutch.

[@LunaticOstrich]

​@antoniovitellaro it only took them 6 years to get them to work

[@rubentreingames6466]

Honestly the concept of the v 250 and Fyra in a whole looked a lot better than we have with the current icng the v 250 was more a highspeed train (with axles what can break every second doors opening will riding and let’s not forget the lovely battery fires : D)

[@martinoratti8028]

I love the fact that the teain has actual tables now where you can put things on when traveling as a group

[@CasGroenigen]

Was interesting to see this, since I never get the oppertunity to sit down in this train between Amsterdam Centraal and Schiphol, since it's so busy during rush hour

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Oh no! 😭😭😭

[@qlum]

As for your recommendation to book online, you can also just use your bank of credit card, on the gates, no need to get a ticket online.

[@1336mg]

There 5 coach and 8 coach trainsets. The 8 coach (3300-serie) ones are for crossing the border to Belgium. They also ordered 2 trainsets for crossing the border with Germany which has 15.000 V. catenairy instead of the Dutch/Belgium HSL voltage of 25.000 V.

[@josipcuric8767]

Ive been on one, it compeltly broke down 100m away from Amsterdam Centraal and we were stuck inside for an hour and a half. Also, halogen lights lmao. Interior is top notch.

[@diederik6975]

Great job on the Dutch city names! Better than 99% of non-Dutch. As for the personnel, I hope you have better experience with other personnel (I think this is very much an exception - most conductors are very kind)

[@Ghost_Rider74970]

The new HSL trains look nice. But, they have less seating as the ones they are replacing. So the chance of finding a seat, especially in rush hours is slim. And the seats just don't sit as nice as in the old trains. Hope the old ones will be around for a long time. Edit: the Koploper trains are not being recplaced by these new trains. They are also not running on the HSL.

[@RenzeKoper]

ICNG is replacing both ICRm + Traxx and Koploper/ICMm. It's just that the higher priority is to the Traxx sets so those are getting replaced first, after that gradually ICMm will also start leaving service (some sets, IE the oldest one, 4011) are already trickling out. Although some of the slack will also be taken up by DDNG around 2028

[@stefannl_plays]

ICNG is planned to replace the SW7/9 sets, aswell as the ICMm-1 fleet (4011-4050), which were the oldest. the ICMm-2/3/4 series will be replaced by DDNG

[@TheRainbowCoach]

Exactly my thoughts/experience!

[@petermaat4196]

@@stefannl_plays But considering the delivery speed of the new ICNG sets, it will be a while before they start replacing the Koplopers.

[@generalsquirrel9548]

@@RenzeKopericm 4011 has been handed over to the national railway museum. I have ridden it on its goodbye run

[@iatsd]

"Rotterdam Station is one of the businest at 100,000 passengers per day"

[@Michael-kt6gi]

Yes, Chinese cities are over populated hell holes.

[@paddipetermann]

What a coincidence, I took the train from Breda to Brussels today but it was a much older train that had one hour delay due to technical issues. I wish I would have been in the ICNG instead!

[@MaartenOtto]

Breda to Brussels will NOT have ICNG trains in the future. These trains will go from Rotterdam directly to Antwerp. Later this year we will all get NMBS/SNCB training on the I11 coaching stock.

[@stefannl_plays]

@@MaartenOtto @paddipetermann ICNG-B (33xx) units will run Amsterdam - Antwerp - Brussels service, the current HLE28's will temporarily run with I11 on a slower service that goes via Breda to Rotterdam. Eventually those will be replaced with TRAXX3 locomotives NMBS ordered (the I11 stock will remain)

[@maaikereal]

that's so cool to see, I go to Breda everyday for school, and I hang out there a lot

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Awesome! Thanks for watching. :)

[@enricomonti156]

Italy has an exact copy of this train, the ETR 103/104 POP, which however is used on regional and commuters trains and is quite uncomfortable for a long journey. This one however has a better use and looks like more comfy. Yet seems like these seats are more like those of a commuter train.

[@tobiasw95]

The "harmonica" noise you heared in the train is the "boordnet omvormer"(dutch, i dont know the english word for that) it is something the older VIRM emu's also have

[@MaartenOtto]

Statische omvormer…

[@hansoverbeeke5442]

Or called IGBT VVVF Traction control❤😊

[@Bramfly]

Glad and proud to be a Dutch citizen 🇳🇱

[@devroombagchus7460]

Thanks! The NS is not a state train company. In the footsteps of Margaret Thatcher, much was privatised in the Netherlands. And it led to the same deterioration, as you briefly hinted on with the Amsterdam - Brussels trains. As for rudeness, this seems to be accepted. I remember that I was on a « long » distance train to Amsterdam Airport on a busy train. Being handicapped and with crutches, I couldn’t find a seat. Bad luck, because I was told that pregnant women and handicapped persons no longer had priority. Public transport in the Netherlands requires a special pass that you need to charge in order to buy a ride.

[@lorettabes4553]

There are always seat marked as handicap spots, they have a little wheelchair icon. If people fail to realise you're allowed to sit there, simply ask them next time. Rudeness is not the same as Directness in the Netherlands. Whoever told you that 'pregnant women and handicapped persons no longer had priority' was lying to you.

[@MaartenOtto]

Nothing is more fun than doing the “roller coaster” section at 300 on the front cab. Over the bridge and a deep dive into the tunnel followed by a gentle curve to the left going up….

[@thijl1010]

in the netherlands you also have arriva and blauwnet 2:54

[@WatchMeDoMath]

> stopping literally everywhere Me when the Sprinter appears in my toilet:

[@petitkruger2175]

Does anyone know why the max speed is only 200km/h when the HSL line is built for 300km/h? I know the Netherlands is not that big of a country but the trip from Amsterdam to Antwerp is almost 2 hours on a Intercity Direct

[@nibuanad]

300 km/h trains would have been far more expensive and much harder to make properly accessible, with only a small time saving due to short distances on the Dutch HSL. Amsterdam-Antwerp is currently still done with the loco-hauled 'temporary' carriages capable of up to 160 km/h and with a detour via Breda. A new limited-stop ICNG service is due to be introduced in December, and should take 1h15 or so between Amsterdam-Antwerp.

[@target_667]

because you have dedicated high speed trains on this route as well the thalys and eurostar. this service is ment to be a higher speed intercity train. the nmbs does the same thing by running 200km/h loco hauled trains form brussels to liege over HSL 2

[@williamgeorgefraser]

My memories of Dutch railways, when I worked there 30 years ago, are 100% positive. At the time it was the best railway network on the planet. I hope it is just as good now.

[@paulthiel5145]

As a Dutchie I can promise you that NS is in a pretty dismissal state nowadays. Time for some serious competition on the main line network.

[@SGM3000]

@@paulthiel5145 I think we dutch people are not happy with NS but compared internationaly it is still quite good.

[@paulthiel5145]

@@SGM3000 until 5 years ago I would kind have agreed with you, but after having traveled on trains internationally now quite a lot, I just cannot agree anymore. It's time to bring in some competition on the main line network in order to force NS to actually run a train service that will serve their customers and not only their single shareholder 😬

[@maxfunf]

@@paulthiel5145 Privatisation literally caused this. Its about making money and not about the customer. If you want competition in The Netherlands, dont be surprised if every company goes cherrypicking and leave all the non-profitable lines.

[@theblazingangels4286]

@@paulthiel5145 dan wordt het nog slechter geloof me :) NS , is van de overheid dus succes (grotste aandeel houder is min van financiën)

[@AnimilesYT]

I love how cute they look. I haven't seen them myself yet even though I live in the Netherlands, but they don't have a connection at the main station I regularly visit

[@sheeple04]

Its funny that you call them cute as the nickname they already gained is "De Wesp" :)

[@koen4746]

Train service in the Netherlands is a bit different from other countries. Most people zie it as OV (Public transport), it is not always used to go long distances like in different countries and it is not for going vacatio for example. it is simply used to get you from point A to point B just like a bus. sometimes when it is busy you could be forced to stand for longer than an hour, just because there aren't any seats left available. In short, for most people the train in just like a fast bus. P.S. i do not want to provoke anyone just the way i think most people feel about dutch trains.

[@lorettabes4553]

Yes! I was wondering what OP's standards are when it comes to trains, because for us Dutch people it's literally to get us from point A to B. The cleanliness of the train looked fine in my opnion

[@MaartenOtto]

The HSL-Zuid is my playground since the FYRA was introduced. Been working the classic route to Brussels as well as High Speed offerings by NS International like Thalys/Eurostar. For 2 years there has been a nasty TSR for 80 km/h on a section of the line where the train is in a 15 degree bank angle. Checking tickets and doing my rounds in the train I must have made a miss-step and my left knee gave way, knacked and something snapped inside, resulting in an immediate sick leave for not being able to walk normally. I work in a different part of the company at the moment hope to return by the new timetable, although I hope I can split my time in 50 percent office work and 50 percent on the train. As for the international sets, 2 more have been ordered bringing the total up to 22 for cross border services. These sets could be used to extend a limited service pattern from Brussels to Groningen but will also be equipped with German systems to be used as a test-bed for a follow up order for a 2 hourly planned service from Amsterdam to Cologne bringing the frequency to 1 train per hour alternating with ICE services.

[@JigAtTheFuneral]

My sincerest thanks for not saying "HSL-zoo weed".

[@warrior_365chess]

this guy actually tries to pronounce it correctly bro

[@OntarioTrafficMan]

And not calling it "ship hole" airport

[@warrior_365chess]

@@OntarioTrafficMan isn't it schiphol

[@chadgunyt5148]

@@warrior_365chess It is but non dutchies say ship hol very often

[@jeroen2535]

3:43 That's my photo! 😁

[@insanclinsan7752]

You can see Koploper/ICM's around Amersfoort quite frequently. They are mostly used at the Intercity trains through north or the east or in some shorter services like Amsterdam-Almere.

[@SuperalbsTravels]

But not for long! I must come and have another ride before they finish.☺

[@astroidexadam5976]

I still see the Koplopers around Rotterdam Alexander

[@rusty6128]

9:12 fun fact also 12 of them have been ordered for service specifically to Germany

[@lomany7967]

Little fact I think might interest you: This exact train model by Alstom has also been ordered by the Romanian national railway, CFR. If I remember correctly, 37 in total have been ordered, 3 of them have been delivered and currently in the testing phase. Their livery consists of the traditional Romanian colors and the pattern is representing the Infinity Column sculpture from Târgu Jiu by the Romanian sculptor, Constantin Brâncuși. You have used our national railways so I think you understand this upgrade is like going from the stone age directly into the contemporary age (((((((:

[@MrFurylicious]

The Fyra... what a great age. I remember that very well... the old train station of Breda and the costant cancelation of Fyra. We used to gamble if it would run or not. What a tragedy. Nowadays the tragedy is the high-speed line between Breda to Rotterdam. There is still a bottle-neck at the little village called Prinsenbeek. Once a train is stuck there, all trains towards Dordrecht and Rotterdam are delayed. Also Intercity Direct makes use of the Thalys traintracks.

[@Hipsutin4]

Could you do another Finnish train video: take the pendolino to oulu by the 8h route via kouvola and Pieksämäki😁

[@francesco6639]

Are they going to sell them back to Italy like the Fyra V250 which are now regularly in service in Italy under the Freccia Argento brand of Trenitalia? Anyway, the new Dutch high speed train is still a made in Italy in Sivigliano Alstom Factory and runs also in Italy as Regional service under the name Pop ETR103.

[@stefannl_plays]

the ICNG sets are produced in Poland

[@paulthiel5145]

Manufactured in Poland indeed. Please check your data first before just shouting something 🤷‍♂️

[@UnePintade]

You mean the italian version of the Coradia stream is made in Italy? The ICNG is the dutch version of the Coradia stream and it's made in Poland. The Coradia stream being a french train I don't know how they can sell them "back" to Italy .

[@FinlayDaG33k]

7:23 You can thank the Belgians for the HSL-Zuid being left-hand drive. It saves a bunch of complexity when the trains from Belgium enter the country.

[@bsmy84]

What's all that stuff sticking out of the lower front of the engine? Is it that way all the time, or does it retract into the engine and cover itself?

[@lyramsr]

always nice to see you using a service I have used a ton haha

[@josvanderploeg7775]

A coule of things: The noiselevel depends on where you sit, not only the noise of the engine but also the rattling from the axles. There are some quiet places. The cleanliness of the trains was 30 years ago a lot better. Then the cleaners came after each ride, now they're all gone because it's cheaper. Speaking of witch: Dutch traintickets are expensive but what I did was buying a NS Weekend Vrij . You can travel from friday 6.30pm until monday 4.00am for about 44 euro's each month. So that's a lot cheaper than a single ticket.

[@pascal9280]

I saw a couple of ICNG stored in Dresden some days ago😅.

[@christophsaviation2045]

Interesting to see. These trains stood in Dresden-Neustadt for a few weeks so I went past them a couple times and always wondered how they look like from the inside. In summer I might get to try them myself, even if only from Amsterdam Centraal to Schiphol Airport.

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Nice, have a fun trip! :)

[@dutchy1121]

Interesting video, I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. Your pronunciation of Dutch was pretty good except for the starting city name, the accent should be on the final a, so Bredá. Have to find something to pick at in such a nice video.

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Haha thank you! :)

[@HorizonSpottingGermany-kd6kh]

12:36 Reminds me of the Br 1440 in Germany

[@tarkatan971]

will travel in november if my visa is accepted. Thanks for your train guides about the Netherlands❤️❤️

[@MVHens]

Will you revisit this train-model when the Brussels-Amsterdam train switches over to this hardware in december 2024?

[@ArticSpy]

Very nice watching your video :) Liked your 3rd party view and your comments about various parts of the journey (I work at ProRail). I do like the ICNG design and internal layout but I will be missing the ICM (koploper), they are being phased out but they are brilliant piece of tech from the 70's and are hard to surpass in speed (ok ok just 160kph max, comfort/sound and seating). Haven't been on the ICNG yet, but comfort-wise the ICM will be very hard to beat, which your comments about the ICNG seem to confirm and I'm glad I live at a route where they will probably keep riding for a few more years till the end.

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Enjoy the ICM while they last! I must come and ride a few more before they finish. :)

[@stuartparks8094]

The mood lighting looks far too bright, is it like that in real life or how your camera picked it up?

[@jordiindebraek8887]

I have to take this train once in a while and actually think they are very quiet. Maybe it depends where you are seated...

[@memespert]

20 YEARS? It's a special then!

[@bastianlind2008]

Well in Denmark the new coaches that are supposed to drive from Copenhagen to Hamburg at the end of this year have already got confetti it was in the news and you can even find the video of the person doing it here on youtube

[@dawdawes]

Being a member of the Benelux railway society and visiting Holland on a regular basis, I have to agree that the new trains are not as quiet as some that travel at 125mph, but I didn't have problems with mucky interiors, I found the seats comfortable, especially if you put them up against the UK 800 class.

[@Niels_f2704]

Still haven’t tried this train yet, hopefully they’re gonna operate in the north very soon

[@kaushikghosh257]

Sounds like a very old Formula one car decclarting!

[@Da_Big_G]

The change to running on the right happens just before Rotterdam station. This situation occurs, one assumes, because Belgian trains are on the left.

[@YouriHL]

9:08 'Hondenkop' was the official name, but most people who commuted with it in the 80s and 90s (like myself) called it a 'boemeltje'.

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Cool! And what does that name mean? :)

[@YouriHL]

@@SuperalbsTravels I don't know if there's an English word for it. It's a common Dutch word for shapes like this, but nowadays nobody uses it anymore.

[@rezaalan3991]

Great trip. Bit disappointed when you got kicked by train staff on first train, but thankfully you can get the second train. Overall great replacement for failed Fyra in Netherlands, even though in some places need some corrections.

[@LadySophieofHougunManor7325]

Very nice awesome video informative as always

[@laughingkor8643]

0:24 It "shakes like a leaf". Don't forget your Gravol.

[@matteociccone6790]

you should take the aterno valley line from l'aquila to sulmona in italy. it has very beautiful views of the appenine mountains and the quaint villages that inhibit the valleys in between the mountain ranges. if you are ever back in new york, i would recomend taking a montauk branch LIRR train from penn station or jamaica to montauk. it has beautiful views of the atlantic ocean and the hamptons. also if you are in new york i would recomend taking a port jervis line train serviced by both new jersey transit and metro north. it has beautiful views of upstate new york and is exeptionally beautiful in the fall time when all the leaves are falling.

[@make1496]

Dank je wel

[@DavidCanet]

what is the averages total speeds. ? in nederlands

[@AykevanLaethem]

Regarding tickets: you can just check in and out using a credit card or a Dutch bank card. Or even using your phone, if you have set up mobile payments. No need for any setup, it just works. This will check in as 2nd class.

[@Thatonegamer-j1s]

12:22 - if you're a train lover how come you not like train sounds?

[@rarespopa1660]

what is the sound when a train leaves like siren?

[@chenwong1036]

The train has several shortcomings like inside compartment doors often not working so that people get stuck when they try to walk to another compartment, SOS button often being pressed by accident and also this train suffers from quite a sway effect when on high speed. I don't understand why the sway effect was not tested properly before. It is much more than on previous ICD trains with Traxx locomotives. Those run much more stable.

[@keizervanenerc5180]

Fun fact: on single track routes in the Netherlands, the trains always cross each other on the left even though on the rest of the network they pass on the right side.

[@ilannghost6306]

around 8:10 looking out for highlights, what HIGHlights? and at the beginning I hope that you were nice to the conductor saying what you were doing with filming on an empty train. on the older train the raddling sound isn't there at 12:05 . also sad that treintrambus the company about public transport in belgium, saying that there should be no less trains between antwerp and brussels. overall seems like a not so fun and positive connection 😂

[@bernardmueller5676]

BTW, do they have platform tickets if you just want to take pictures without travelling?

[@xbia1]

With a reusable chipcard you can check in and out within an hour at no cost.

[@killeronthebeach]

If you want to enter the platform to take pictures you can check-in with your "OV-Chipkaart" Or banking card, and if you check in-and out within 60 minutes, it doesn't cost anything

[@nibuanad]

You can use a contactless bank card (whether it's a physical card or on your phone) to check in and out at stations with gate lines. If you check out within 60 minutes you will not be charged.