Trains in the Netherlands
As we all know, the Dutch people are incredibly innovative. As a small, densely populated country, it makes so much sense to have an efficient public transit system. Unlike Canada or the United States, which are both sprawling countries, in the Netherlands building a local train network required considerably less distance. Since 75% of trains in The Netherlands are now electric, it also helps the Dutch to work towards their goal of 0 greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2050.
The Dutch East India Company, established in 1602, did a booming commerce trade between Europe, India and Africa for over 200 years. Within The Netherlands itself, there was an extensive system of rivers and canals in place to transport goods and people but no railways.
In 1825 an ex-soldier named WA Bake, who was fascinated by the developing rail system in Britain, came up with a plan to build a rail line connecting Amsterdam to Cologne, Germany, passing through Arnhem. The Dutch East India Company got wind of this and immediately began to lobby heavily against any idea that might threaten the monopoly they held on the movement of goods and people. Of course they won, and Sgt. Bake dropped the whole thing. However, one of his employees, W.C Brade, continued to work on making a rail system in The Netherlands reality. He changed the route from Amsterdam - Cologne to Amsterdam - Rotterdam, which would connect the two largest port cities in The Netherlands. King William I learned of these plans and gave his blessing, since he did not want to be at a competitive disadvantage with the rest of Europe that was actively building rail systems. Now the dream could become a reality.
The first big hurdle was a complete lack of Dutch engineers who were qualified to build a railroad. Experts were imported from Britain, as well as other countries. Even with competent people at the helm, some very odd decisions were made. It was decided that that rail would be built with a gauge of 6 feet 4 9/16 inches between the rails, whereas the rest of Europe had rails measuring 4 feet 8 1/2 inches. Perhaps the thought was that the rail system would only be used within The Netherlands, but this made them completely incompatible with neighbouring countries. The rail lines were eventually converted but it caused quite a few headaches.
September 20,1839 saw the first train pulled by locomotives, 17 years after Bake originally began working on it. De Arend (The Eagle) left Amsterdam and arrived in Harlem an impressive 30 minutes later. Commercial transportation began 4 days later. A line connecting Amsterdam to Rotterdam was completed in 1847.
Over the net several decades many rail companies sprang up, some government-run and others owned by private investors. By 1890, most of the major cities in The Netherlands were connected to a railway line.
Today, train travel is the most popular way of getting around The Netherlands and the rest of Europe, serving 438 million passengers each year. That number is expected to rise, given the sharp increase in yearly tourism. Usually there is no food service on board, although many trains will have a snack cart, where one can purchase a coffee and a koekje (cookie). By far the number one snack is a gevulde koekje (filled cookie). This buttery cookie with an almond paste filling is a real treat, whether you’re travelling or not!
