Arriva is allowed to run night trains from Groningen via Assen to Schiphol and back from 2023. This has been decided by the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM). Arriva is therefore allowed to drive on the main rail network for the first time, where the NS has sole control. This makes the carrier a competitor of NS.
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There will be a night train from Groningen to Schiphol from Friday to Saturday, with at least a stop in Assen.
For the first time on the main rail network
Up to now, Arriva only runs regional train services such as Emmen – Zwolle. The main rail network was always licensed to the NS by the cabinet. However, other carriers such as Arriva may apply to also run on the main rail network, if this does not cause significant damage to the profits made by NS. The ACM has now decided that the night train has hardly any influence on the wallet of the NS.
night trains
The train that Arriva wants to run from Groningen will leave for Schiphol just before 2 a.m. It stops at the stations Assen, Zwolle, Lelystad, Almere, Amsterdam-Zuid and arrives at Schiphol at 4 a.m. Just after 5 a.m. the train leaves Schiphol again to transport early travelers to the North. On the way there is again a stop in Assen.
Arriva also gets permission for a weekly night train Maastricht – Schiphol. In addition to the night trains, Arriva may also run between Apeldoorn and Amersfoort five times a day. With the three new services, the regional carrier hopes to undermine the monopoly of the NS.
“This will strengthen the Dutch public transport network and encourage more travelers to opt for this sustainable way of travel,” said Arriva CEO Anne Hettinga. “If the night trains are a success, more routes and journeys may follow.”
New trains
Arriva has to purchase new trains for the new connections. But given previous good experiences between train builder Stadler and Arriva, where ‘standard’ train types are completely adapted from the factory to the wishes of Arriva or its clients (such as the province of Drenthe), this will probably not be a problem. The hurdle in allocating capacity on the Dutch track will probably be a bigger one. But the space must be there because NS hardly ever runs at the times when Arriva wants to run.
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