Key takeaways
- The 1700 is the NS's four-axle passenger locomotive for the nationwide 1.5 kV DC network.
- Fastest way to identify one: four axles, angular front, four-digit number starting with 17.
- NS locomotives carry series numbers, not class letters – unlike the multiple units with VIRM, ICM, SLT or DDZ.
- One electrification system means one boundary: a pure 1.5 kV vehicle can't cross into the German 15 kV network.
- Deployment and train formation change and shift with timetable years and vehicle procurements.
Contents
Fact file
| Vehicle type | Electric locomotive for passenger services |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Alsthom, mechanical part by De Dietrich |
| Wheel arrangement | Bo'Bo' – four axles on two bogies |
| Electrification system | 1.5 kV DC – the standard system of the Dutch network |
| Numbering scheme | Four-digit NS series number starting with 17 |
| Typical use | Locomotive-hauled passenger trains, including push-pull operation; diagrams change with the timetable |
Identifying features
Is this really the class in front of you?
- Four axles on two bogies – not a six-axle design
- Angular front in the style of the French locomotive generation with a sloped front section
- Single-arm pantograph for 1.5 kV DC, often with a sturdily sized contact strip
- Vehicle number four digits, starting with 17 – NS locomotives carry no class letters
- Usually at the front or rear of a locomotive-hauled passenger train, not ahead of multiple units
- Runs on the Dutch network, not on German lines
Updated: August 2026 – Four axles, an angular front, a classic carriage set behind it and a four-digit number starting with 17: that’s the NS Series 1700. This page shows you how the Dutch numbering system works, why the electrification system determines this locomotive’s range, and where you can realistically get it in front of your camera.
Spotted a 1700? Note the number.
With locomotives, the four-digit number is the crucial piece of information – captured in seconds with Traintrack.
What is the NS Series 1700?
The Series 1700 is a four-axle electric locomotive of the Nederlandse Spoorwegen for passenger services. It’s designed for 1.5 kV DC – the electrification system that covers almost the entire Dutch network. It was built by Alsthom, with De Dietrich responsible for the mechanical part; the styling accordingly recalls the French locomotive generation of the same era.
Operationally it’s clearly placed: it hauls locomotive-hauled passenger trains, often in push-pull operation with a driving trailer at the other end of the train. In a country where regular and long-distance services are carried almost entirely by multiple units such as the ICM units or the double-deck DDZ trains, a locomotive in front of a carriage set is a special case – and therefore of above-average interest to spotters.
How the NS names its vehicles
Anyone coming from Germany instinctively looks for a class number on a Dutch vehicle. The Dutch system, however, works in two parts, and both halves are easy to learn.
Locomotives: four-digit series
Electric locomotives carry plain numbers such as 1700. The first two digits denote the series, the last two the individual machine. There are no letter codes here.
Multiple units: descriptive abbreviations
VIRM stands for Verlengd InterRegio Materieel, ICM for InterCity Materieel, SGM for Stadsgewestelijk Materieel, SLT for Sprinter Lighttrain. The abbreviation describes the vehicle concept.
The digit after the code
For multiple units, the number in the name often states the number of car sections – VIRM-4 versus VIRM-6, say. For locomotives this falls away, because there's only one vehicle.
The UIC number as the final authority
The full twelve-digit vehicle number carries the country code 84 for the Netherlands. It's unambiguous, even when markings or liveries change.
How the twelve-digit number is structured and where the check digit sits is explained in the article on the UIC number and its check digit. The general approach to identifying an unknown vehicle is in the guide to identifying rolling-stock classes.
1.5 kV: why the electrification system determines everything
The Dutch network is almost completely electrified, but runs on 1.5 kV DC – noticeably lower than in the neighbouring countries. The high-speed line, by contrast, uses 25 kV AC. Almost everything that shapes the deployment of Dutch vehicles follows from this setup.
| Network section | System | What that means for vehicles |
|---|---|---|
| Classic NS network | 1.5 kV DC | Single-system vehicles like the Series 1700 are at home here |
| High-speed line | 25 kV AC | Only multi-system vehicles can run through without a change |
| Border with Germany | 15 kV AC | Pure DC vehicles end at the system boundary |
| Border with Belgium | different systems | Multi-system technology is needed here too |
For spotters coming from Germany, that means in practice: anyone wanting to see the 1700 has to go to the Netherlands. The shortest route there runs via border stations such as Venlo. What comes the other way across the border are multi-system vehicles such as the NS’s TRAXX locomotives, which can handle several voltages. It’s exactly at this technical boundary that it’s decided which vehicles you can expect at all in the border region. On the Rhine axis, this transition is at Emmerich am Rhein.
Keep an eye on cross-border traffic
Community sightings show you in real time which vehicles are currently running where.
Spotting and photography
Locomotive-hauled trains offer photographers an advantage that multiple units don’t: at the front of the train stands a self-contained vehicle with its own number that you can isolate as a subject. Anyone looking for such rakes outside regular service will find them with societies such as the Stoom Stichting Nederland.
Look for turnaround times
Terminus stations and bay platforms give you minutes instead of seconds. That's where the clean three-quarter views with a legible number happen.
Watch the front of the train
In push-pull operation the locomotive runs at the back in one direction. If you only photograph the front of the train, you'll miss it – check beforehand which end it's on.
Use flat light
Angular locomotives benefit from side-on morning or evening light. Midday sun makes large flat surfaces look dull.
Document the livery
Colour schemes change over the years. A photo that shows the whole side wall is worth more later than a tight front crop.
Location and safety
Even abroad the rule holds: track areas, operational railway land and stabling sidings are off limits. Photograph from publicly accessible platform areas behind the platform edge. National house rules may contain additional rules – when in doubt, follow staff instructions.
The guide good train photos covers how to combine angle, light and shutter speed for a clean locomotive portrait. If you’re interested in unusual colour schemes and special liveries, the article on advertising locomotives and special liveries offers the right search strategy.
Locomotive-hauled or multiple unit? What the difference means
The Netherlands is a multiple-unit country. The overwhelming majority of passenger traffic is carried by self-propelled units whose codes describe the concept: SGM for Stadsgewestelijk Materieel, SLT for Sprinter Lighttrain, ICM for InterCity Materieel, VIRM for Verlengd InterRegio Materieel. A locomotive in front of a carriage set is the exception in this environment – and exactly for that reason especially appealing to spotters.
The difference isn’t just aesthetic, it’s operational too. A multiple unit is ready for service in both directions immediately, accelerates evenly and needs no run-round of the locomotive. A locomotive-hauled train, in exchange, offers a different kind of flexibility: the number of carriages and the locomotive can be swapped independently of each other, which is an advantage for strengthening, substitute or special workings. In push-pull operation both worlds come together – the locomotive stays at one end of the train, controlled from a driving trailer at the other.
For observation, that means in concrete terms:
- Vehicle number: on a locomotive-hauled train you identify the locomotive, on a multiple unit the unit. Those are two different kinds of sighting.
- Location: locomotives stand longer at bay platforms and during turnarounds – ideal for clean portraits.
- Watch the end of the train: in push-pull operation the locomotive runs at the back in one direction. If you only look forward, you’ll miss it.
- What the image says: a locomotive portrait lives from the vehicle, a multiple-unit shot more from the overall scene.
Because the share of locomotive-hauled traffic is declining across Europe as a whole, this balance keeps shifting. What’s worked by locomotive and carriages as a matter of course today can be taken over by a multiple unit in the next timetable year. At the Nederlandse Spoorwegen, this changeover has long been the norm. Current sightings are therefore more informative than any older diagram overview – and your own, dated photo only grows more valuable over the years.
Common mix-ups
It points to the Series 1700 if …
- the locomotive has four axles on two bogies
- the number is four digits and starts with 17
- a classic carriage set is attached
- the vehicle is running on the Dutch network
Look more closely if …
- the locomotive is at the rear of the train and you only see the back
- an unfamiliar livery obscures the styling
- the train is made up of double-deck carriages – then check whether it's a push-pull set or a multiple unit
It's not a 1700 if …
- the vehicle is a multiple unit with no separate locomotive
- the markings show a code like VIRM, ICM, SLT or DDZ
- the locomotive runs through across the border into Germany – that needs multi-system technology
Conclusion
The Series 1700 is a good starter vehicle for anyone wanting to understand the Dutch system. It shows how NS locomotives are named, why the 1.5 kV network determines the range, and why locomotive-hauled trains are the exception rather than the rule in the Netherlands. Anyone who keeps these three points in mind will also classify any other Dutch vehicle faster.
In short
Four axles, angular front, four-digit number starting with 17, a classic carriage set behind it: that's the NS 1700. It stays within the Netherlands' 1.5 kV network – multi-system locomotives handle cross-border traffic into Germany.
Collect your Netherlands sightings
Number, livery, date and location in one place – so you can see which machines you're still missing.
Summary
- The Series 1700 stands for locomotive-hauled passenger services in the Netherlands and is easy to recognise by its angular front and four axles.
- Its number follows NS logic: four digits, no letter code, within the 1700 block of electric locomotives.
- The electrification system explains its range better than any power rating – 1.5 kV ends at the border.
- Anyone wanting to photograph it looks for stations with locomotive-hauled trains and makes use of turnaround times.
Frequently asked questions
What is the NS Series 1700?
The Series 1700 is a four-axle electric locomotive of the Nederlandse Spoorwegen for passenger services. It's designed for 1.5 kV DC, the standard system of the Dutch network, and hauls classic carriage sets – unlike the multiple units that carry the bulk of the traffic.
Why is it called 1700 and nothing else?
The NS designates locomotives with four-digit series numbers, not class letters. Multiple units, by contrast, get descriptive abbreviations from the vehicle concept, such as VIRM for Verlengd InterRegio Materieel (lengthened inter-regional stock). For locomotives, the number stands alone, and the series comes from the shared number block.
How do I recognise the 1700 in the field?
By three things: four axles on two bogies, an angular front with a sloped front section in the style of the French locomotive generation, and a four-digit number starting with 17. If a classic carriage set is attached, the picture is complete.
Does the NS 1700 also run into Germany?
No, and that's down to the electrical engineering. The Dutch network runs on 1.5 kV DC, the German network on 15 kV AC. A locomotive built for only one system can't cross the border. Cross-border services are handled by multi-system vehicles.
What's the difference between the 1700 and the NS's multi-system locomotives?
The range. Multi-system locomotives like the TRAXX machines can handle several electrification systems and so can cross the border. The 1700 stays within the Dutch DC network. Visually the two are told apart by front and body shape, operationally by the trains they're seen in front of.
Which trains do you see the 1700 in front of?
Locomotive-hauled passenger trains, including push-pull operation, where the locomotive stays at one end of the train and is controlled from the driving trailer. Exactly which services run locomotive-hauled changes with vehicle procurements and timetable years – check the current status.
How many locomotives of the Series 1700 are there?
A reliable current figure is deliberately not given here, because fleet numbers keep changing through withdrawals, rebuilds and sales. What's reliable is the system: the numbers sit within the 1700 block, and each machine carries its own four-digit number.
Where's the best place to photograph the 1700?
At stations with locomotive-hauled passenger services and enough turnaround time. There the vehicle stands still, the number is legible, and you can take your time over a three-quarter view and a detail shot. On routes served purely by multiple units, on the other hand, your hit rate is low.
Log your sighting of the NS 1700
Date, location and vehicle number logged in seconds – and visible to the community.
Related classes
NS TRAXX (Class 186)
NS runs TRAXX Class 186 locomotives on cross-border services. What the type code means and how to identify the multi-system locomotive.
EMUNS DDZ
The DDZ is a double-deck electric multiple unit of the NS, converted from existing double-deck coaches. Here's how to read the abbreviation and recognise it.
EMUNS ICM (Koploper)
The ICM is the classic intercity multiple unit of the NS. Its nickname Koploper reveals the design principle: a walk-through gangway right through the front.
Who is behind it
Groups, brands, manufacturers and operators – who owns whom and how to recognise them out in the field.
Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS)
The Nederlandse Spoorwegen run the core network of the Netherlands, but by no means everything moving on Dutch rails. Freight, regional lines and infrastructure sit with other companies – and the yellow livery only tells you which part you're looking at.
Heritage railwayStoom Stichting Nederland
The Stoom Stichting Nederland owns no heritage line of its own. It runs its steam trains over the normal Dutch network – among freight trains, Intercity services and Sprinters. That makes it the exception among the country's heritage operators, and it changes everything about how you photograph it.
Where to see the NS 1700
Specific viewpoints with lighting times, coordinates and an honest verdict on whether the trip is worth it.
Emmerich am Rhein
At Emmerich, freight traffic from the Ruhr region leaves Germany towards Rotterdam – and vice versa. The system changeover at the border, the connection to the Betuweroute and an exceptionally high freight share make this one of the country's most important border spots.
Freight hubKijfhoek Marshalling Yard
Kijfhoek is the largest marshalling yard in the Netherlands and the western starting point of the Betuweroute. For spotters that means heavy freight traffic, an active hump – and the firm rule that everything is watched from public roads and bridges only.
Border stationVenlo
Venlo is compact, quiet and rewarding for spotters precisely because of that. As a border station between the Dutch DC network and German AC power, the place forces locomotive changes and dwell times – time you never get at a major station.
Related guides from the blog
