The most densely populated province in the Netherlands
Zuid (South) Holland features intense rail activity
118,000 (250,000+ with adjoining communities)
Requires construction of new light rail routes
Referendum rejection of initial urban routing
High level of interchange with bus and heavy rail
Main line services are managed by national operator Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS)
there are sizable tram networks in the provincial capital Den Haag and the biggest city Rotterdam also has a metro
Based on Den Haag and Rotterdam is the RandstadRail operation which
is becoming established in service and in identity
To counteract the congestion encountered in this small but highly developed area
the province of Zuid Holland is sponsoring a project for a new rail operation
The Rijn Gouwelijn (RGL) project is for the creation of a tram-train operation from Gouda through Alphen aan den Rijn (both with populations of over 70,000) to Leiden
whose population with adjoining communities exceeds a quarter of a million
Already with the high population density characteristic of the Randstad region
the RGL will pass through an area scheduled for more housing developments
a western section will run north-west towards the coast
branching to the North Sea resort and commuter towns of Noordwijk (12km from Leiden) and Katwijk aan Zee (8km)
the latter is currently the Netherlands’ biggest community without any rail service
Early indications were of a total project cost of €470m
Since 2003 a trial service (which continues) with tram vehicles has run half-hourly over the heavy rail section from Gouda
an interchange with the Utrecht-Den Haag main line
also an NS interchange for Leiden and Utrecht
Destined to become a composite part of the RGL operation
this partly single-track secondary route has been made compatible with the low-floor trams
New low platforms 40cm above the railhead opposite the standard NS high platforms
or single platforms with ends of different height
the publicly funded national heavy rail infrastructure body
Remodelling of the Alphen aan den Rijn station area in connection with the RGL proper began in May 2008
The heavy rail section will gain extra stops as the project proceeds
The RGL plans promoted by Zuid Holland in respect of the street-running sections through Leiden’s historic centre were rejected with a 69% vote by the city’s residents in a referendum held in 2007
Particular objections centred on the use of the picturesque Breestraat for rail use
Although the vote carried no legal weight and opposition continues
the intended alignment has been changed and will require substitute roads to be added
The system’s busiest point is likely to be at Leiden Centraal on NS’s Amsterdam-Den Haag-Rotterdam main line
prosperous Leiden has a large student population
Deliveries of the light rail stock were from October 2002 to the NS Leidschendam depot in Den Haag
operator of that city’s tram network and RandstadRail partner
Gouda to Alphen aan den Rijn services are worked by a fleet of six two-car Bombardier type A32
originally specified for Stockholms Lokaltrafik AG in Sweden
Based on a design used around Cologne and classified by the manufacturers as a Flexity Swift
the 72% low-floor units operate singly or in pairs
With an anticipated frequency of 7.5 minutes each way
a new fleet is likely to be procured for tram-train operations
the promoters make reference to the RandstadRail low-floor vehicles in Den Haag (Alstom Regio Citadis) as an indicator of the standards that may apply
up to 35km/h on reserved track with the potential for 100km/h (62mph) running over the railway section
At present the trams need only operate under the signalling system of the NS route over which they operate
although dual systems are likely to apply on the completed scheme
it is probable that real-time indicators will be fitted throughout
Initial construction works began in mid-2008
Previous delays suggest that schedules may slip again
although the plan is for the RGL to be delivered in three phases
the first being the reworked Gouda-Alphen den Rijn line by the end of 2010
This would be followed by the arms east and west of Leiden by 2015
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Approximately 5 percent of Qbuzz's scheduled bus trips in the northern part of Zuid-Holland have been canceled in recent weeks
This is much higher than the contractual obligation of a maximum of 0.2 percent of culpable trip cancellations
The province of Zuid-Holland is contemplating fining Qbuzz for this
Qbuzz took over bus transport last month for Alphen aan de Rijn, Gouda, Leiden, and Katwijk from Arriva, but the services have been chaotic thus far
Passengers have waited for buses that did not come
There have also been stories of drivers going the wrong way or not knowing the route at all
One of the reasons that they expect this is because around 15 extra buses are going to be used in the coming time
who only completed 31 of the 140 electric buses that were ordered on time
forced Qbuzz to find last-minute alternatives like touring cars
Dozens of diesel buses have been driving for Qbuzz temporarily
The transport company has been getting a lot of complaints from customers about buses not appearing on time or at all
“We are using temporary buses which lack IT equipment
This can mean that the real-time travel information in our travel planners is incorrect
We are aware of the impact of this,” said a spokesperson
“We are doing everything we can to solve this as quickly as possible by using new buses.”
Qbuzz hopes to achieve "more reliable bus routes" by adjusting driver schedules
These changes will take effect at the end of January
some journeys will be canceled on some lines
it offers "considerably more" rides in this area every day than in the previous concession period
The province of Zuid-Holland is considering reducing the money given to transport company Qbuzz for bus transport in the northern part of the province. The province feels that the number of bus trips being canceled is too high
has been considering imposing a fine on Qbuzz for some time and is now also considering "partially suspending" the monthly operating contribution
The transport commissioner wrote this in a letter to the Provincial Council, who will debate Qbuzz’s chaotic start in the Zuid-Holland Noord public transport area on Wednesday
Qbuzz took over the bus transport from Arriva midway through December for cities like Alphen aan de Rijn
Qbuzz was forced to improvise with diesel buses and touring buses after orders of electric buses were not delivered on time
This has led to many canceled bus rides and buses that did not arrive on time
Zevenbergen has described the current situation as “untenable” and wants a plan of improvement from Qbuzz by next Monday
This must include a plan for how the transport company will ensure that less than one percent of the rides are canceled
The province reported that 7.5 percent of the trips were canceled at the start of this week
despite the fact that Qbuzz had promised to have their services in order by January 27
Zuid-Holland will pay 46.9 million euros to Qbuzz this year
although that fee can change based on national index numbers
The province pays an advance payment halfway through each month
but Zevenbergen wants to suspend part of this if there is no "substantial improvement" in the short term
should not have to pay for services that are not delivered," according to the commissioner
Qbuzz claims that the issues are mostly related to the delay in deliveries of electric buses and the old vehicles that are now being used for the rides
“The issue of not using enough drivers seems to be the biggest reason for the regular cancelations.”
apologized to the province on Wednesday for the chaotic month
the public transport is unreliable at this time
I give my sincerest apologies on behalf of Qbuzz for this,” Zuidberg said
“That people are sometimes literally left waiting in the cold has led to stories that affect us deeply
I am literally lying awake because of this.”
Zuidberg explained some of the reasons for the issues by Qbuzz
"Making public transport more sustainable requires a lot from the entire sector
also due to the complexity of rules and laws.”
the new Environmental Act means it takes longer to obtain permits
including for intended new bus depots in Leiden and Gouda
due to a full power grid (grid congestion) in almost all of Zuid-Holland
it is not possible to get a stronger electricity connection at some existing depots
"No power means that zero-emission buses cannot charge and drive at that location," according to the director
The transition from Arriva to Qbuzz in Friesland and Zuid-Holland Noord has caused significant disruptions for bus passengers across the regions
leaving tens of thousands of travelers inconvenienced
Bus services were hit with delays of up to 45 minutes
and drivers unfamiliar with routes frequently stopped at incorrect locations
Qbuzz faced a shortage of nearly 100 electric buses
partially due to the bankruptcy of bus manufacturer Van Hool
Qbuzz turned to diesel buses from Berlin and Reykjavik
additional coach services were employed to fill in the gaps
Drivers from neighboring provinces like Drenthe and Groningen were also called in to assist
public transport in Zuid-Holland Noord was made free until the weekend of January 6
the ongoing issues have raised concerns about the timing of such transitions
with provincial officials and the travelers' association Rover calling for a shift to off-peak seasons
The bus service changes in Friesland and Zuid-Holland Noord were part of a broader shift in the Dutch public transportation sector
Qbuzz took over routes previously operated by Arriva
but numerous problems arose as buses and drivers struggled to meet demand
Qbuzz promised a 20 percent increase in service hours but failed to deliver
has suggested that such transitions be moved to the quieter summer months or the May holiday period to allow for smoother adjustments
“It’s a more practical time for both operators and passengers
Provincial governments have already begun to consider alternative solutions
Noord-Brabant has decided to implement changes in the summer months starting in 2029
believing it will reduce the risk of disruptions
Qbuzz has also expressed support for this approach
acknowledging the added complexity of transitioning to electric buses and integrating new technologies
“Concessions have become more complicated with electric buses and IT systems
so we are in favor of a summer or May transition,” a spokesperson for Qbuzz said
The Leiden city council has formally demanded improvements to the regional bus services
calling the current state of affairs unacceptable
In an open letter to the province of Zuid-Holland
representatives from ten political parties expressed their dissatisfaction with the ongoing issues since Qbuzz took over the public transportation contract in the northern part of the province in mid-December
The council emphasized the urgency of resolving the situation
stating that "it is of paramount importance that the situation improves significantly and quickly."
and Katwijk have faced significant disruptions
Travelers have experienced long waits at bus stops with no buses in sight
while others have been delayed for extended periods
There are also reports of drivers who are unfamiliar with their routes
the police impounded a bus in Leiden for displaying an incorrect license plate
The Leiden council’s letter also conveyed their frustration with the chaos surrounding the transition
urging Zuid-Holland’s transport commissioner
is responsible for overseeing regional transportation and has already indicated its displeasure with Qbuzz’s rocky start
The province is considering imposing fines on the transport provider in response to the numerous complaints received from across the service area
some experts argue that the real issue lies in the broader shortage of bus drivers
which is not likely to be solved simply by changing the timing of transitions
explained to AD that the entire European transport industry is struggling with a critical shortage of drivers
“The demand for more buses is understandable
but we need to recognize that this shortage won’t be fixed overnight,” Kamminga said
and that only adds to the risks of delays.”
The situation has also highlighted the tensions between operators and provinces
Arriva refused to transfer bus depots to Qbuzz
“We must prevent this from becoming a bargaining chip for the outgoing operator,” said Zevenbergen
Freek Bos from Rover also noted that transport companies often make overly ambitious promises in their bids for new contracts
and basic services like bus information must be up to par,” he told AD
The transition issues have led to calls for reconsidering the market-driven approach to public transportation
The trade union FNV has questioned the effectiveness of privatizing public transport
not a profit model,” said FNV official Edwin Kuiper
where issues are less common due to consistent public transport providers
Hundreds of thousands are expected to attend the Flower Parade Rijnsburg on Saturday
but we expect 350,000 to 400,000 people along the route," said a spokesperson
Around 300,000 flowers have been used for the floats that will parade through Rijnsburg
and Noordwijk in a long procession on Saturday
This year's theme of the 77th flower parade is "Quintessentially Dutch," according to the organizers
The Flower Parade Rijnsburg runs every year on the second Saturday in August and is composed of 72 floats and more than 50 other festive elements
🌸🌻De 77-ste editie van de Flower Parade Rijnsburg rijdt morgen weer door Rijnsburg, Katwijk en Noordwijk. Een kleurig visitekaartje van de sierteeltsector in onze gemeente met als thema dit jaar: ‘Typisch Nederland’. Wij keken alvast om een hoekje, ga morgen gerust kijken!! pic.twitter.com/VdEsWz2w8l
They could already be seen on Friday evening in the large hall of the Royal FloraHolland flower auction
where the parade weekend was kicked off with music
The parade departs from this hall in Rijnsburg at 1 p.m
on Saturday and arrives at the boulevard in Noordwijk aan Zee via Katwijk aan den Rijn
The floats and cars will remain there so the public can admire the floral creations on Sunday
The popular flower parade is one of the oldest floral events in the Netherlands
Due to the importance and longevity of the event
the Dutch "corsos" were declared the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage status in 2023