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I don't have a lot of data points, but comparing the Dutch railway system to the one in the UK, there is a very clear winner. The trains in the Netherlands have

by rocgf 8y ago

I don't have a lot of data points, but comparing the Dutch railway system to the one in the UK, there is a very clear winner. The trains in the Netherlands have a fixed price and are rarely delayed or cancelled. Also, the OV-chipkaart is great - you can use the same card on trains, trams, buses and underground across the Netherlands.

jeromegv 8y ago
This seems to be a typical thing with public services / transit. Locals will complain and find flaws no matter how good the service is. However for 95% of the western world, Dutch railways are an example of how good it could be.
randomsearch 8y ago
The UK is also, sadly, a very low bar to compare against wrt public transport.
Carpetsmoker 8y ago
I used to complain about the Dutch railway system. Then I moved to the UK and realized how much better it is, not to mention cheaper and predictable pricing! None of this pre-order or "if you get a return via the same route it's 40p more expensive but if you get a return via a different route it's £40 more expensive" nonsense.[1] I didn't travel much until a few years ago, but since then I've come to learn that the Dutch railways is probably the best I've seen yet (which doesn't necessarily mean it's the best as I can't compare all systems, but certainly seems among the best). UK trains tend to have better service though: more power sockets (although I assume it's more common in NL too now? Haven't been in 4 years), and better catering. There's almost always coffee, and some trains even have a bar with beer/wine at comparatively reasonable prices. Where I'm currently living in New Zealand doesn't even have a train connection, even though it sports a famous railway station :-( [1]: See my confusion here: https://travel.stackexchange.com/q/37196/20608 https://travel.stackexchange.com/q/37196/20608
amirmasoudabdol 8y ago
Comparison with UK is going for an easy win. Dutch should compare their trains with German or Japanese trains. Then, they suck! If you use them occasionally you think they are amazing and much better than most other networks but if you rely on them everyday then you quickly realize how bad they are. Lots of random delays and unpredictable behaviors. Smallest change in weather causes disruption. And they are actually expensive even in comparison. (I cannot find the EU report that showed that, I’ll update the comment with it)
- yread 8y ago
  I think the rail network just lacks redundancy. Everything is super efficient with just single track each direction but when something breaks down a replacement train (or an engine) is far away and won't fit in the busy schedule. Also there is so little space for luggage or prams.

by rocgf 8y ago

jeromegv 8y ago

This seems to be a typical thing with public services / transit. Locals will complain and find flaws no matter how good the service is. However for 95% of the western world, Dutch railways are an example of how good it could be.

randomsearch 8y ago

The UK is also, sadly, a very low bar to compare against wrt public transport.

Carpetsmoker 8y ago

I used to complain about the Dutch railway system. Then I moved to the UK and realized how much better it is, not to mention cheaper and predictable pricing! None of this pre-order or "if you get a return via the same route it's 40p more expensive but if you get a return via a different route it's £40 more expensive" nonsense.[1] I didn't travel much until a few years ago, but since then I've come to learn that the Dutch railways is probably the best I've seen yet (which doesn't necessarily mean it's the best as I can't compare all systems, but certainly seems among the best). UK trains tend to have better service though: more power sockets (although I assume it's more common in NL too now? Haven't been in 4 years), and better catering. There's almost always coffee, and some trains even have a bar with beer/wine at comparatively reasonable prices. Where I'm currently living in New Zealand doesn't even have a train connection, even though it sports a famous railway station :-( [1]: See my confusion here: https://travel.stackexchange.com/q/37196/20608 https://travel.stackexchange.com/q/37196/20608

amirmasoudabdol 8y ago

Comparison with UK is going for an easy win. Dutch should compare their trains with German or Japanese trains. Then, they suck! If you use them occasionally you think they are amazing and much better than most other networks but if you rely on them everyday then you quickly realize how bad they are. Lots of random delays and unpredictable behaviors. Smallest change in weather causes disruption. And they are actually expensive even in comparison. (I cannot find the EU report that showed that, I’ll update the comment with it)

yread 8y ago
I think the rail network just lacks redundancy. Everything is super efficient with just single track each direction but when something breaks down a replacement train (or an engine) is far away and won't fit in the busy schedule. Also there is so little space for luggage or prams.