Passenger train services • Regional line services / Ticketing • Private regional operators • The Netherlands • Arriva NL
➤ Some other examples of regional operators: Arenaways – BRB – Krösatågen
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.
Key points
- Adoption of the Passenger Transport Act 2000;
- Entering in the Dutch rail market in 1999 through NoordNed;
- Part of Deutsche Bahn between 2010 and 2024;
- Owned by I Quared Capital since 2024.
On this page
- Birth of the company ;
- 2022: first long-distance night train
- 2024: the Liège–Maastricht–Aachen Express (Limax)
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. 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.
| COMPANY TYPE | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name: | Arriva Personenvervoer Nederland B.V | |
| Subsdiary/Branding from: | I Squared Capital (Miami) | |
| Country of registration: | Netherlands | |
| Year founded (under this name): | 2019 (1998 Arriva Personenvervoer Nederland B.V) | |
| Sector: | Passengers regional | |
| Investor(s) / Owner: | I Squared Capital | |
| Headquartered at: | Heerenveen | |
| Management of infrastructure: | no | |
| Management of stations: | no | |
| ACTIVITIES | ||
| Regional & local traffic: | yes (+ cross border service) | |
| Long distance traffic: | no | |
| Freight traffic: | no | |
| Traction: | owner | |
| Urban transport: | no | |
| Leasing: | no | |
| Infrastructure works: | no | |
| Rolling stock maintenance: | Depend the owner |
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)
A further complication arises from the trade names given to certain services, which are sometimes operated by two separate operators:
- Blauwnet (Arriva and Keolis NL)
- RRReis (Arriva and Keolis NL)
- Arriva
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
Before Arriva
Train services in the Netherlands were long operated by the vertically integrated national company NS. In 1989, numerous regional operators were merged into the VSN‑group, followed by several small‑company mergers. In the early 1990s, rising dissatisfaction over annual subsidies and concerns about efficiency led the government to create the independent Wijffels Commission. Its 1992 report Sporen voor straks proposed reorganising NS into business units under a holding structure.
A 1994 McKinsey study identified around 30 loss‑making lines, forming the basis for separating the network into a profitable main network and a regional/local network. This distinction shaped the Passenger Transport Act 2000, which kept the main network under state control and granted NS exclusive operation rights for an annual fee of €30 million. Regional passenger transport, however, had to recover more costs and became subject to decentralisation.
Eighteen regional transport authorities were created, with the state acting as a nineteenth for intercity services. Local rail lines deemed unprofitable in 1996 were transferred to provinces, which could award concessions through competitive tendering to NS or other operators.
In 2003, the state established ProRail to manage 3,060 km of rail infrastructure, funded by government grants and operator track access charges.
Birth of the company
The first liberalisation experiment took place in South Limburg, where Vancom obtained a four‑year permit in 1995 for routes previously run by VSL/Hermes. Vancom later acquired Groningen’s municipal operator before its Dutch activities were sold to Arriva.
Arriva placed Groningen’s urban transport in a legally separate entity, while its South Limburg operations were sold in 2002 to Limex, later part of Veolia. On 1 January 1998, responsibility for bus, tram and metro services shifted to regional authorities. That same year, VSN was split into VSN‑1 and VSN‑2 in preparation for the Passenger Transport Act 2000, which introduced competitive tendering and concession allocation.
VSN‑1 companies became Connexxion in 1999, while VSN‑2 firms such as BBA, GADO and VEONN were designated for sale. Arriva acquired Hanze Groep and VEONN in 1998, gaining a major presence in the northern provinces. In Friesland, VEONN and NS Reizigers prepared the NoordNed partnership, launched in 1999, combining bus and regional rail services, with Arriva operating additional routes and leasing trains from NS.
Arriva entered the Dutch rail market in 1999 through NoordNed, taking over regional services in Friesland and Groningen. Today, it operates five main rail concessions, covering the Northern Netherlands, Vechtdallijnen, Achterhoek-Rivierenland, Twente-ZHO and Limburg. Its network is therefore concentrated mainly in the north, east and south-east of the Netherlands.
In 2010, Arriva was purchased by Deutsche Bahn for €2.7 billion, continuing under DB UK Holding Limited while keeping the Arriva brand in each country. After several divestments, DB sold the remaining Arriva activities to I Squared Capital (Miami) on 3 June 2024. There is still some confusion here regarding the relationship between the subsidiaries. Arriva NL and Arriva UK Bus/Trains are sister subsidiaries and are both part of the same Arriva holding group (the whole group is currently owned by I Squared Capital). This means that Arriva NL is not a subsidiary of Arriva UK, as there is no legal subsidiary relationship between Arriva NL and Arriva UK.
Arriva NL remains a key operator in Dutch rail and bus markets and is supported by nearly 4,800 employees across the Netherlands.
2005
Arriva has operated regional rail services in the northern Netherlands since 2005, when it took over the Groningen and Fryslân concessions, previously operated by NS (Nederlandse Spoorwegen). However, its presence dates back to 1999, when NoordNed took over the first regional lines in Friesland from NS. Arriva initially held 50% of NoordNed, acquired the remaining shares in 2003 and fully integrated the company in 2006.
Today, Arriva operates the Noordelijke Nevenlijnen network, covering around 335 km of railway and serving roughly 40 stations. The network links Groningen with Leeuwarden, Delfzijl, Eemshaven, Winschoten, Veendam and Leer, as well as Leeuwarden with Harlingen Haven and Stavoren. Major stations include Groningen, Leeuwarden, Zuidhorn, Buitenpost, Sneek, Harlingen, Stavoren, Delfzijl, Roodeschool, Eemshaven, Winschoten and Veendam.
2016
Arriva has been active in Limburg since December 2016, when it took over the province’s integrated regional bus and rail concession, running until 2031. The contract covers four regional rail routes, alongside the bus network, and was awarded through a European tender. The rail operation comprises roughly 5.5 million train-km annually.
At the start of the concession, Arriva operated a fleet of around 24 Stadler GTW trainsets, transferred from the previous operator Veolia, which had operated Limburg’s regional rail services since 2006. In addition, Arriva introduced new Stadler FLIRT electric trainsets, notably for the electrified Maastricht–Heerlen–Kerkrade route and the Maaslijn services. The concession also requires Arriva to maintain at least 8 multi-system trainsets capable of operating in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany for the Liège–Maastricht–Aachen three-country service.
2019
Cross border services
Since the electrification of the Herzogenrath–Landgraaf line in 2018, Arriva has been operating a Aachen–Heerlen–Maastricht passenger service since January 2019 using its Stadler Flirt multiple units, which are compatible with the Dutch, German and Belgian electrification networks. The changeover between the DB and NS networks takes place at Haanrade, just west of the border. A second track was opened between Landgraaf and Heerlen in September 2022, enabling a cross-border service every half hour. Plans for a second hourly service, departing from Eindhoven and initially limited to Herzogenrath due to route issues on the Herzogenrath–Aachen line, have been postponed.
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.
Arriva is providing Stadler’s Flirt 3 trains for the route. SNCB is supplying the crew – comprising train drivers and conductors – between Liège-Guillemins and Maastricht, whilst for the remainder of the journey the crew is provided by Arriva NL. Between Liège and the Visé border, the train operates under the SNCB’s safety certificate (SiBe); between Visé and Maastricht, the NS’s SiBe is used; and between Maastricht and Aachen, Arriva’s SiBe is used.
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.
Gelderland
Gelderland has awarded Arriva a 10-year contract (extendable to 17, worth up to €2bn) to keep running the Achterhoek Rivierenland rail and bus package from December 14 2025, beating rival bidders EBS and Keolis. Arriva has operated these lines since 2012, plus Rivierenland buses since 2003 and Achterhoek buses since 2010.
The deal includes refurbishing 24 Stadler GTW DMUs—adding toilets, defibrillators, and cleaner engines—plus nine more DMUs from 2025 and four further sets for a new 2028 Arnhem–Doetinchem RegioExpress service. Trains will run on hydrotreated vegetable oil, and all vehicles will use the region’s purple and green livery. Arriva’s Anne Hettinga said the long contract enables secure investment, operational growth, and support for local sustainability goals.
2026
Arriva has signed a contract with Stadler for the supply of five four-car Flirt EMUs. The trains will be deployed from December 2029 on the Vechtdal Line in the Dutch provinces of Overijssel and Drenthe, boosting capacity on services between Zwolle and Emmen, which Arriva has operated since 2012. The trains will be manufactured at Stadler’s plant in Siedlce, Poland.
In Juni, Arriva has again won its legal battle with the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure over a €3.4 million subsidy for the on-board Drielandentrein’s signalling system. The Council of State ruled that the ministry must reconsider its refusal. The subsidy covers the Specific Transmission Module installation (STM), enabling ETCS-equipped trains between Aachen, Maastricht and Liège to communicate with existing German and Belgian signalling systems. Whilst ETCS was mandatory on the Belgian network, it was not yet mandatory in the Netherlands and Germany in 2024, meaning that STM systems had to be fitted on trains in both countries.
On 10 July 2026, the Belgian Federal Transport Regulation Agency received the complete notification from Arriva Personenvervoer Nederland B.V. concerning the new passenger rail service on the “Amersfoort–Paris” route and the return service, with planned stops including Breda, Antwerp, Brussels Airport Zaventem, Brussels‑Midi and Mons, as well as on the “The Hague–Paris” route and the return service, with planned stops including Roosendaal, Antwerp, Brussels Airport Zaventem, Brussels‑Midi and Mons. This notification concerns access to the Belgian railway network and forms part of the information requirement laid down in Belgian and European legislation. 🟧
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