Hilversum 'international' station - a poor experience

[HowardGWR]

Recently travelled on an IC train (from AMS to Berlin) with a paper ticket for two from Hilversum. On arrival early for the train, the 11.22, we noted that the outside coffee shop had no toilets and were advised to use those at the station. The station is barrier'd. We went to the barrier and noted no staff on duty anywhere - this at 11 am. So -to the booking office where the booking clerk explained that the QR code on our (self printed) ticket would operate the barrier. I explained that there were two of us, as shewn on the ticket. She peered at our ticket and then rustled up a station pass paper one from her drawer. The one and only toilet on the station on platform 1 was 'defekt'. We held on until boarding, which was not so well organised, as they had reversed the order of the coaches; I assume the train had been diverted on the way in and had entered AMS Centraal from the West and the 'reisplan' on the seats was for the previous evenings incoming train. I helped some bemused American pax, as the announcement was only in Dutch, so the platform consist guide was useless. Once on the train, we were told that the buffet could only serve coffee as they had an electricity supply problem.* I also noted that the air conditioning was not working. When we reached Bad Bentheim after two suffocating hours, the German loco coupled up and then suddenly the air conditioning worked and the buffet was operational once more. I assume it had been our Dutch engine that had the problem.

* I am interested why the buffet could still serve coffee when the other hotel services, for hot meals and a/c were down -anyone any ideas? I wondered if the coffee machine had a dynamo-run supply on the bistro car.

 

[Quakkerillo]

Dutch barriered stations only have a small number of staff at the gates at major stations (even in Rotterdam you'll only find 4 at the gates on total!), and none at smaller stations at all, just help button points.
Hilversum is a minor station, and the only reason the train stops there, is that the international train substitutes for a normal intercity, so no need to expect any international service there. To be honest, I'm very surprised Hilversum even has a ticket office!

For your remarks on the turned-around train; when there's been a disruption between Almelo and Amsterdam, the train sometimes runs either via Utrecht or Zwolle, with the train arriving in wrong order in Amsterdam, and without sufficient time or capabilities to turn the train around as such, it turns back in wrong order too. On the language of the announcement, it should indeed have happened in English, if you want, I can raise this issue with the NS via twitter if you give me the date it happened.

Coffee and some other hot drinks can also be provided by "Kiosk", the food service offered on stations and several intercity trains, who have small trolleys and hot drink containers available. They can just have brought one aboard at Amsterdam to serve the minimum until Bad Bentheim where a normal locomotive available to get the power working was coupled. It may not have been ideal, but as we have almost none to no locomotive services running anymore on normal services, there aren't too many 'spare' to just hop in for such a service.

 

[Groningen]

Your complaint is more about the train than the toilet in Hilversum. Use next time a better start of the thread.

 

[HowardGWR]

Your complaint is more about the train than the toilet in Hilversum. Use next time a better start of the thread.

My fault for not enabling you to understand what I was getting at (it appears) about Hilversum station as an international train starting point. I thought the anecdotes would be interesting and apologise that they weren't.

 

[duesselmartin]

I think it is interesting and I think a bit more explaining than lecturing would be nice. We dont want to become like the German Drehscheibe Forum, do we?
Does anyone know what future plans are for this service? ICE4 / IC2 trains?
Martin

 

[radamfi]

Hilversum isn't a huge place, but it is the "Hollywood of the Netherlands"

 

[AlexNL]

Does anyone know what future plans are for this service? ICE4 / IC2 trains?

A few years ago, ICE4 trains were planned for the Amsterdam - Berlin route. However, DB has changed their order and the initial batch of trains will only be equipped for traffic in Germany.

IC2 won't fly as these trains won't align well with the Dutch gauge, and as they do not have a bistro area they are unsuited for a 7hr journey anyway.

So far, the rumours that I've heard are:
1) Newly-built LHCS to replace the current stock which dates back to the eighties
2) An add-on order of ICE4
3) ICE 3M trains (currently operating Amsterdam - Frankfurt) to be redeployed to Amsterdam - Berlin, when enough Velaro D's are available for services to Belgium and France.

The reasoning behind the latter would be that the ICE 3M-sets are horribly expensive to maintain, and by using them on a 'slower' route maintenance costs could be saved upon. The only stretch of Amsterdam - Berlin which is suitable for speeds higher than 200 km/h is the high speed stretch between Hannover and Spandau.

 

[HowardGWR]

Hilversum isn't a huge place, but it is the "Hollywood of the Netherlands"

Yes and I think this stop is justified, for that reason, but I have wondered if the next stop should be either Apeldoorn or Bad Bentheim, with a connector train feeding into it. The present through train is like a sub regional one, whilst in NL, and as the latest poster wrote, only reaches high express speed after Hannover. I have seen 250 on the clock of my ICE coach along that stretch.

I should add that I think that any train that has an international destination should have multi lingual announcents at stations along the route, as indeed was the case, once on board. I got the perhaps incorrect impression that the NS contribution to this service was anything but enthusiastic, but there seems to be a general malaise on NS at present, judging by my recent experiences.

 

[Groningen]

As said before Hilversum is the mediacapitol of the Netherlands. Not for nothing the northern station (going to Naarden-Bussum) was called Hilversum NOS (the dutch BBC) in 1974 when it opened and just Hilversum Noord (North) in 1989. Since December 2013 it is called Hilversum Media Park.

Hilversum is closely connect to the stoppingservice from and to Almere (and Lelystad). With 88.000 it is so not a small town; further not stopping in Hilversum means only a longer stop in Amersfoort. Trains in the Randstad is so heavy that 1 disruption could hinder many more trains.