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Netherlands has been building an intercity light rail network for the past years, reusing previous sections of tram lines, metros and heavy rail and extending them with new sections of elevated rail and tunnels. The RandstadRail currently operates on the southern region of the “round city”, namely connecting the Hague to its suburbs and Rotterdam.

The tram lines 3 and 4 bring commuters from Zoetermeer and from the west to the Hague, using low-floor tram-trains operated by the transit company of the Hague. Although elevated tram lines were not at all unknown in the city centre before RandstadRail (and hence there is no need for heavy metro), an eye-catching, new viaduct has been built just two stops from the central station, while the trams run underground on the other side of the city. In the suburbs, the Alstom RegioCitadis tram-trains run on street level, but still protected from individual traffic.

In the near future, further the Hague tram lines are planned to be converted to a RandstadRail line, and in 2010, 100 of the current 147 trams will be replaced by this low-floor, somewhat wider design.

Citadis tram-train in the new the Hague viaduct

In contrast, the Erasmus line from the Hague to Rotterdam has a high-floor standard, because – although the current Rotterdam terminus location is not optimal – as soon as the short tunnel section under the central station is finished, this service will be merged with the Rotterdam heavy metro line of the same name. The rolling stock is already operated by the Rotterdam transit authority, recently the RSG3 trains manufactured at the Dutch factory of Bombardier.

RSG3 rolling stock of the Erasmus line on Rotterdam terminus

RSG3 interior

Due to unified branding and livery, the differences in the two systems above might only be apperent to us train buffs, but the five shared stations had to be designed for mixed floor-level use. As stairs are not acceptable anymore in local transport, these stops simply have platforms of both heights connected with ramps.

Low-floor RegioCitadis arrives, the departing RSG3 metro car has stopped at the high-floor section in the foreground.

The three lines once again meet at Den Haag Centraal, where the Erasmuslijn arrives on the heavy rail platforms, while the 3-4 light rail line stops are elevated inside the rail station.

RSG3 at the Hague central station

Hague-operated RandstadRail over mainline trains

The photos are from my trip on April 12th, more pics here!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 5th, 2009 at 09:44 and is filed under Budapest. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.