Dutch railway operators

Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS)

Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) is the Dutch state railway. Its multiple units carry concept codes like VIRM or ICM instead of class numbers – a real point of adjustment.

NS International (NSI)

NS International (NSI) carries cross-border passenger services in its name. Anyone logging sightings in the Netherlands has to read place names and station suffixes correctly.

Arriva Nederland B.V.

Arriva Nederland B.V. is a railway operator in Dutch regional services. How to recognise its trains and what the NL–DE border area means for your sightings.

Blauwnet (Keolis / Provincie Overijssel)

Blauwnet is a regional transport brand in the Netherlands. The addition in brackets names Keolis as the operating company and the Provincie Overijssel as the awarding province.

Breng (Connexxion / Hermes)

Breng is a regional transport brand in the Netherlands, with Connexxion and Hermes added in its name. The busy Dutch network calls for its own way of working when spotting.

Connexxion Openbaar Vervoer N.V.

Connexxion Openbaar Vervoer N.V. is a Dutch transport company. The name part "openbaar vervoer" stands for public transport – on road and rail alike.

Keolis Nederland B.V.

Keolis Nederland B.V. is an operator in Dutch regional rail services. Double-deck trains aren't a special case there but everyday sights – and that changes the look of the trains noticeably.

Qbuzz B.V.

Qbuzz B.V. is a transport operator in the Netherlands. Spot there and you'll quickly notice: the station surroundings are a cycling landscape with their own rules for standing spots.

R-net (NS / Qbuzz Betrieb)

R-net is a unified livery in Dutch local rail services. It makes vehicles recognisable across operator boundaries – and that makes identifying the actual company harder.

DB Cargo Nederland N.V.

DB Cargo Nederland N.V. is a company active in freight transport with a Dutch registration. Marshalling yards are the place where freight trains are actually created.

Lineas Nederland B.V.

Lineas Nederland B.V. is a rail freight company registered in the Netherlands. In the Netherlands, company names reveal more than you might think at first glance.

LTE Netherlands B.V.

LTE Netherlands B.V. is a company active in rail freight, registered in the Netherlands. Industrial and port railways are the part of the system you get to see least often.

Rotterdam Rail Feeding B.V. (RRF)

Rotterdam Rail Feeding B.V. represents its own niche in freight: bringing up and making ready trains so other companies can take them out onto the line.

European Locomotive Leasing (ELL – NL-Betrieb)

European Locomotive Leasing (ELL – NL-Betrieb) stands for locomotives working in the Netherlands. The network's low DC voltage shapes vehicle design there more than almost any other factor.

The Trainbutlers B.V.

The Trainbutlers B.V. points to a trade that's visible on the train and invisible on the vehicle: on-board service and train attending as a service in its own right alongside running the train.