Rail transport in the Netherlands

Rail transport in the Netherlands
NS VIRM double-deck EMU
Operation
National railway	Nederlandse Spoorwegen
Infrastructure company	Railinfratrust
Major operators	NS International Arriva Connexxion (Transdev) Keolis Nederland
Statistics
Ridership	438 million per year
Passenger km	17.1 billion per year[1]
Freight	36.5 million tonnes (35,900,000 long tons; 40,200,000 short tons) per year
System length
Total	3,223 km (2,003 mi)[2]
Double track	1,982 km (1,232 mi)
Electrified	2,321 km (1,442 mi)[2]
Freight only	158.5 km (98.5 mi)
High-speed	125 km (78 mi)
Track gauge
Main	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
High-speed	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Electrification
Main network	1.5 kV DC
HSL-Zuid, Betuweroute	25 kV AC
Features
No. tunnels	13
Longest tunnel	Groeneharttunnel, 7,160 m (4.45 mi)
No. bridges	4,500 (76 movable)
No. stations	397[3]
Map

Rail transport in the Netherlands uses a dense railway network which connects nearly all major towns and cities. There are as many train stations as there are municipalities in the Netherlands ^{[citation needed]}. The network totals 3,223 route km (2,003 mi) on 6,830 kilometres (4,240 mi) of track;^[4] a line may run both ways, or two lines may run (one in each direction) on major routes. Three-quarters of the lines have been electrified.^[2]

The Dutch rail network primarily supports passenger transport.^[5] Rail travel comprises the majority of the distance travelled on Dutch public transport.^[6] The national rail infrastructure is managed and maintained by the government agency ProRail, and a number of operators have concessions to operate their trains.^[7] The entire network is standard gauge. The Netherlands is a member of the International Union of Railways (UIC), and its country code is 84.

Most Dutch trains are equipped with Wi-Fi. They offer no onboard catering, except for a limited service on some international trains, due to the short distances involved.