The Netherlands in August 2013

The Netherlands has the best trains and commuter trains in Europe. Fast electric trains of the brand NS Sprinter Lighttrain, produced since 2007 by a consortium of the Canadian company Bombardier and the German company Siemens, run between the main cities of the country. The new train replaced the old one with the difficult-to-pronounce name Stadsgewestelijk Materieel, which was also briefly called Sprinter and was manufactured by the German company Talbot from 1975 to 1983.

Both single-deck and double-deck variations of Sprinters are encountered.

When entering the train from the platform, you immediately enter a carriage without intermediate doors, which saves space and eliminates congestion. It is possible to move freely between the carriages as they are connected almost seamlessly, and the doors are made of glass.

The interiors are bright and clean.

Each door has an electronic display that shows the route and the next station.

The carriages are available in first and second class. In the first class, there is more legroom and red seats. In the second class, the seats are not as spacious. By the way, each row is equipped with a small trash bin.

There are also carriages marked as “Silence” where speaking loudly and making phone calls is not allowed.

On the platform, a pleasant female voice clearly and gently announces the schedule. The Dutch language is similar to German but not as harsh and has a greater abundance of raspy sounds.

The display is equipped with two types of clocks.

The schedule was made by a genius.