Passenger train services • Regional line services / Ticketing • The Netherlands • Arriva NL
In addition to trains, Arriva manages extensive bus networks in Friesland, South Holland (DAV area), Limburg, and other regions, using modern, low-emission vehicles. Some services operate under regional brands like Qliner and R-net. Arriva emphasizes multimodal connectivity, real-time information, and regional accessibility. It also offers on-demand services (like Arriva Flow in Limburg) and has introduced zero-emission buses in several areas.
➤ Similar operators:
Note: For educational purpose only. This page is meant purely as a documentation tool and has no legal effect. It is not a substitute for the official page of the operating company, manufacturer or official institutions. It cannot be used for staff training, which is the responsibility of approved institutions and companies.
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Read the full package about Arenaways:
The company → Rolling stock → Train services → Economics
In brief
Until the early 1990s, most Dutch public transport companies were state-owned. In 1989, the government consolidated regional operators into the VSN Group to prepare for market liberalization. The first privatization occurred in South Limburg in 1995. Arriva entered the market by acquiring Dutch operations of Vancom and expanded through bidding for concessions, eventually becoming a major operator across regions like Friesland, Brabant, and Limburg. However, Arriva also lost several concessions over time to competitors like Connexxion and Qbuzz. Public transport responsibilities shifted to regional authorities in 1998, initiating competitive tendering for concessions under the new Public Transport Act of 2000.
Also train services
Since December 11, 2005, trains on the Northern Secondary Lines have been operated by Arriva, succeeding its subsidiary NoordNed, which ran the services from May 30, 1999, to December 11, 2005.
Operator: Arriva Holding N.V. (Heerenveen)
Subsidiary / shareholders: 100% Arriva plc (Sunderland, UK)
Sector: Passengers transport
Type of service: Regional train services – PSO
International transport: yes
First railway services: 2005
Train type: Various Dmu and Emu (leasing)
Manufacturer(s): Various
Driver service: own
Officiel website: https://www.arriva.nl/
Social media: :
Similar companies :
In 2020, Arriva won the concession again, extending service until December 2035. From December 2010, more express trains run between Groningen and Leeuwarden during evenings and Sundays, and a half-hourly service was introduced to Roodeschool. A new link to Veendam started in May 2011. In July 2012, Groningen’s provincial government assured passengers there would be no overcrowding after summer.
From 2006 to 2018, Arriva operated the MerwedeLingelijn until Qbuzz took over. Arriva also increased service to Leer (Wiederline) in 2012 and took over multiple lines from NS, Syntus, and RegioNS. Since 2013, Arriva runs the Almelo–Mariënberg–Hardenberg line. Arriva and The Hague Trains Holding won a bid to connect The Hague with Brussels. Night trains to Schiphol from Maastricht and Groningen began in 2022–2023. In December 2023, Arriva took over the Zutphen–Oldenzaal route from Keolis under the Blauwnet brand. “RE” means Regional Express, and “RS” means Regional Sprinter.
It is important to clearly distinguish the nature of the services:
• Public Service Obligation (PSO) in railways ensures essential passenger services are provided even if they’re not commercially viable, typically subsidized by governments. PSO contracts are awarded to operators to serve routes for a period agreed in a contract (8, 10 or 15 years, for example). Some PSOs take over the staff of the previous operator.
• Open access, on the other hand, allows any licensed railway company to offer services on the rail network without state subsidies. This promotes only commercial services on profitable routes, leading to better service quality and pricing.
See Regulation (EU) 2016/2338 (amending 1370/2007) and Directive (EU) 2016/2370
Service type for Arriva NL: PSO + Open access
Regular routes under PSO
➤ Leeuwarden – Groningen
➤ Leeuwarden – Sneek
➤ Zwolle – Marienberg – Emmen
➤ Almelo – Marienberg – Hardenberg
➤ Zutphen – Apeldoorn
➤ Zutphen – Hengelo – Oldenzaal
➤ Nijmegen – Venray – Venlo – Roermond
➤ Maastricht Randwyck – Maastricht – Sittard – Roermond
➤ Sittard – Heerlen
➤ Liège-Guillemins – Maastricht – Heerlen – Herzogenrath – Aachen Hbf
➤ …
Regular routes under open access initiative
➤ Maastricht – Eindhoven Central – ‘s-Hertogenbosch – Utrecht Centraal – Amsterdam Schiphol
➤ Groningen – Zwolle – Lelystad Centre – Almere Centre – Amsterdam Centraal – Amsterdam Schiphol
➤ Groningen – Zwolle (postponed)
Rolling stock (past and present)
Alstom
(2001) 2013 – …
📷 Rob Dammers
Stadler
2006 – …
📷 Rob Dammers
Stadler
2006 – …
📷 Jacek Ruzyczka
Stadler
2017 – …
📷 Hein56didden
Stadler
2019 – …
📷 Mediarail.be
Background
Coming soon.
2022
Open access initiatives
Arriva seen opportunities in improving accessibility in the northern Netherlands by offering faster and direct connections outside existing concessions. Arriva aims to use the track more efficiently and wants to respond to market demand by offering additional train services where it believes there is room and need. Rather than a PSO contract, Arriva sees with open access an opportunity to position itself as a full-fledged competitor to NS on certain routes. But the company has to go through the economic test before launching.
Arriva Nederland launched its first long-distance night train on October 29 2022, running weekly from Maastricht to Schiphol Airport and back, with flat €10 fares sold online via QR codes. The service, separate from NS and operating on an open-access basis, departs Maastricht early Saturday and returns from Schiphol the same morning. A planned Groningen–Schiphol night route was delayed to January 2023 due to storm damage on the Hanzelijn line. Arriva also aims to start an open-access service from Amersfoort to Zutphen. These services, approved by ACM, support Arriva’s challenge to NS’s concession and the push for competitive tendering under EU law.
2024
The Liège–Maastricht–Aachen Express (Limax) regional service began on June 30 2024 after multiple delays, with an official inauguration held June 26 in the three countries it serves. The 78 km route with 12 stops connects Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium in 1 hour 35 minutes and runs hourly. Limax extends the RE18 service launched in 2019, operated by DB Regio in Germany and Arriva Netherlands under various regional contracts. Belgian National Railways (SNCB) crews the trains in Belgium due to licensing. Arriva provides tri-voltage Stadler Flirt 3 EMUs, retrofitted with ETCS for Belgian approval. The ETCS delays pushed service start from the original 2018 target to 2024. Ticketing integration remains incomplete; Dutch smartcards work to Aachen but not in Belgium, where passengers need separate SNCB or international tickets.
2025
Zwolle – Groningen route postponed
End of December 2024, Arriva has decided to postpone its planned express train services between Zwolle and Groningen. According the website Treinreizigers.nl, though the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) ruled that infrastructure manager ProRail wrongly rejected Arriva’s additional service requests, the operator has yet to receive approval for more rides. The current limited schedule—one morning roundtrip Monday to Thursday and a few more on Fridays—is considered unprofitable. ProRail had cited safety and infrastructure concerns but hadn’t conducted proper assessments. ACM criticized ProRail for its lack of transparency and demanded new decisions by December 31. Arriva welcomes the ruling but won’t start service on January 2 as planned, calling it a delay rather than cancellation. If approved, Arriva would be the first direct competitor to NS on this route. 🟧
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