Transport in the Netherlands

The Netherlands is a very busy and developed country where getting around is very important for its economy. It has a modern and dense network of roads, railways, airports, and waterways that help people and goods move quickly and efficiently. In fact, the World Economic Forum ranked the Dutch transport system as fourth best in the world for 2014-2015.

The country has one of the densest road networks in the world, with over 139,000 kilometers of roads, including 3,530 kilometers of expressways. It also has an excellent railway system that connects most towns and cities. Additionally, the Netherlands is famous for its cycling infrastructure, with about 35,000 kilometers of bike lanes separate from car traffic.

The port of Rotterdam is the largest seaport in the world outside of East Asia and connects to many countries through rivers like the Rhine and Meuse. Another major port, Amsterdam, is also one of Europe’s busiest. People in the Netherlands travel a lot, with cars used for half of all trips, bicycles for 25%, walking for 20%, and public transport for 5%. In 2016, Dutch airports handled at least 70 million passengers. Each day, people in the Netherlands travel more than 30 kilometers on average, taking just over an hour to do so.

In 2010, the country moved 1.65 billion tons of goods, mostly by sea and inland shipping, with a smaller portion by road. Only a small amount of freight was moved by rail.

Road transport

Main article: Road transport in the Netherlands

The Netherlands has a very dense network of roads, with 139,000 km in total. This includes 3,530 km of motorways and expressways, making it one of the densest motorway systems in the world. Most of these roads are national roads, with some important provincial roads also included.

People in the Netherlands use their roads a lot. Over 200 billion kilometres are travelled each year, mostly by car. Even though there are many roads, they get busy, especially around big cities like the Randstad area. To help with traffic, the country uses special signs and signals on its motorways to manage the flow of vehicles.

Cycling

Main article: Cycling in the Netherlands

Cycling is a very common way to travel in the Netherlands. About 27% of all trips are made by bicycle, which is the highest number in the world. Many people, around 36%, say they use a bike most often for everyday travel. Almost everyone, about 85%, owns at least one bicycle. There are thought to be more than 18 million bikes in the country—more than one for every person!

The roads and paths for bikes are very good and easy to use. Most roads let cyclists ride along, and there are special paths just for bikes that are kept in great condition and have lights to help at night. In busy places, bikes often get special traffic lights to keep things safe and smooth.

There are also big places to park bikes, especially in cities and near train stations. Since the year 2000, places for 450,000 bikes have been built and improved at train stations, and more are planned. Many train passengers ride their bikes to get to the station—about half a million people do this every day!

In 2013, a group called the European Cyclists' Federation said the Netherlands, along with Denmark, was the best country in Europe for cycling.

Rail transport

Main articles: Rail transport in the Netherlands and Dutch railway services

The Netherlands has a very busy railway system. Most people use trains to travel around the country. The rail network has many miles of tracks, and most of them have electricity to power the trains. There are over 400 train stations, which connect almost every town and city.

Trains run often. On busy days, some stations have trains leaving every few minutes. The biggest stations in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht have been updated and made bigger in recent years. The Dutch rail system is known for being efficient and busy, with many people using it every day.

Future developments

Two groups in Europe started a project to make planning trains better. This will help freight and passenger trains work together more smoothly. In the future, adding more tracks or changing some lines to work like subways could help even more people travel. But for now, there are no big plans for these changes.

Public transport

Main article: Public transport in the Netherlands

Trains are the main way to travel long distances in the Netherlands. Some places without train tracks use buses instead. In smaller towns and rural areas, buses are the main way to get around. In big cities like Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and The Hague, there are also trams that connect these cities with nearby areas.

Amsterdam and Rotterdam also have metro, or subway, lines. Amsterdam added a new "North-South" line in July 2018 after many years of work.

Rotterdam, The Hague, and the areas between them are linked by a light rail system called RandstadRail. One of the Rotterdam metro lines goes all the way to The Hague Central station. Utrecht has its own light rail system that connects the city to nearby places like Nieuwegein and IJsselstein. Arnhem still runs a trolleybus system.

Because the Netherlands has many waterways, some places are connected by ferries instead of roads. In the Rotterdam and -Drecht towns area, there is also a water bus service.

Public transport is run by both local government companies and private companies.

Air travel

See also: List of airports in the Netherlands and List of airlines of the Netherlands

Air travel in the Netherlands reached a record high with over 81 million passengers in 2019.

Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, located near Amsterdam, is the main international airport in the country and one of the busiest in Europe. It offers direct flights to many places around the world and handled millions of passengers each year. Schiphol is a key location for several airlines, including KLM and its regional service KLM Cityhopper, as well as other airlines like Corendon Dutch Airlines, Martinair, Transavia, and TUI Airlines Netherlands. It is also used by airlines such as Delta Air Lines, EasyJet, and Vueling.

Other airports in the Netherlands, such as Eindhoven Airport, Rotterdam The Hague Airport, Maastricht Aachen Airport, and Groningen Airport, are smaller but also serve travelers. In 2023, Dutch airports welcomed 71 million passengers.

Water transport

Ports and harbours

The Netherlands has thirteen seaports, three of which are very important for international trade. The port of Rotterdam is the largest port in Europe and the eighth largest in the world. In 2013, it handled 440 million metric tons of cargo. The Amsterdam seaport is the second largest in the country and the fifth largest in Europe. The ports of Vlissingen and Terneuzen work together as Zeeland Seaports and are the third largest Dutch seaport.

Rotterdam has great access to important places upstream through the rivers Rhine and Meuse, reaching as far as Germany, France, and Switzerland. The port is a key place for moving goods by ship, river barge, train, or road. In 2007, a new fast freight railway called the Betuweroute was finished, connecting Rotterdam to Germany.

The Dutch fleet of ships is one of the largest in Europe, with many types of vessels used for different kinds of cargo.

The Netherlands has many rivers and canals that are used for transportation. Some 6,237 km of rivers and canals can be used by ships of 50 tons. The Dutch fleet of ships that travel these waterways is the largest in Europe and carries a large share of the country's freight, especially bulk materials. Many important industrial areas and cities can be reached by water through inland ports and terminals.

Pipelines

Pipeline transport includes moving things like oil and gas through tubes. The Netherlands has pipelines for crude oil that are 418 km long and for petroleum products that are 965 km long.

The country also has a very good network for moving natural gas. This network has 12,200 km of big pipes for sending gas far away and 136,400 km of smaller pipes for bringing it closer to homes. Experts think these pipes could also be used to move hydrogen in the future.

Natural gas pipes are looked after by a company called Gasunie Transport Services (GTS). They connect places where gas is made, stored, and used. There are two kinds of gas pipes: one for homes and another for factories and power plants.

Oil pipes carry crude oil from the Port of Rotterdam to places where it is made into other products in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. There are also pipes that move different materials between factories. One special system moves clean CO₂ from factories to greenhouses to help plants grow better in the Westland area.

Government

Transport in the Netherlands is managed by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. For public transport, 14 groups have the power to choose which companies can run buses and trams. These groups include the twelve provinces and special areas around Amsterdam and Rotterdam/The Hague. They all work together in a group called DOVA, which stands for Decentralised Public Transport Authorities.

Roads in the Netherlands are controlled by different groups. The national government manages about 5,200 km of major roads through Rijkswaterstaat. The twelve provinces manage about 7,800 km of important regional roads. Most big highways are national roads, while provincial roads are shorter and serve local areas.

Municipal roads make up most of the network, with around 120,000 km of local streets. The Netherlands is also split into 21 water management boards, which along with other groups control another 7,500 km of roads. Some of these roads are part of important water barriers like dikes and dams, and others give access to key water control structures.

Economics

Transport is very important for the economy of the Netherlands. In 2012, jobs in moving goods and storing them helped almost 500,000 people work full time. These jobs brought in about 77 billion euros in money, with profits of around 4.3 billion euros.