Train Cab Ride NL / Night / Rotterdam - Amsterdam - Utrecht - Amsterdam / VIRM Intercity / July 2020

On your request another video during night time! And night it will be during a ride on the night network of The Netherlands! Today we're gonna take a very long ride from Rotterdam via Amsterdam to Utrecht and then back to Amsterdam. It will be very dark until halfway in the video and then the sun will slowly rise from the east. Night net runs every hour on the route Rotterdam - Amsterdam - Utrecht and back. This way the big city's from our country have a 24/7 connexion. We depart a minute late from Rotterdam at 3 in the morning. At the start of the ride everyone on board gets its ticket checked when entering the train. Only one door is open at that point and everyone enters via that door. It often happens it's a little busy at the doors just before departure time and the train managers of course first let everyone board. As said: it will be very dark. We depart in the Schiedam direction on the middle track of the opposite direction. After Schiedam we will change tracks to the normal direction. From there we keep the train to its maximum speed until we're back on schedule again. In Delft a drunken man falls from the train and the train manager gets out to help him. Therefor we will depart with a small delay, but there's lots of driving time until Den Haag HS, so it won't be a problem. Also between Den Haag HS and Leiden there's a lot of driving time. The reason for this is that the train dispatcher often uses night net train for rust driving and that needs some extra time. Today we won't be used for that so we can just let the train roll out for a long time before arriving in Leiden. Just before we arrive the train manager gives me an update there's a colleague that has a short transfer and we have to wait for him before departure. In the end this gives us a minute delay and of course we will get back on schedule very soon. At passing Nieuw Vennep we're already back on schedule. On arrival in Schiphol we get to platform 3 instead of platform 1 or 2. This mean we have to slow down the train a little earlier. Normally no problem, but not we have a VIRM with a heavier braking criteria. This is new and will be installed on all VIRM train. It simply mean the driver must hit the brakes harder to satisfy the ATB-system on board. This also mean the lower speed is reached faster than normally and therefore we are loosing some seconds on schedule. At Schiphol there's a 9 minute stopover. Nothing to see here. Someone vomited just begin my cabin and the train manager temporary fixed that with soms substance that took away the smell until it gets cleaned in Utrecht. The smell of that stuff was pretty strong I can tell you. Haha... Ok, off we go! to Amsterdam Central Station. The sun is slowly rising and you'll get to see a little more of the surroundings of the tracks. After departure in Amsterdam we will be diverted via Hilversum because of maintenance work on the tracks between Amsterdam and Utrecht (via Amstel). Enjoy the views and also the special portals for the overhead wires between Hilversum and Utrecht. Did you know these portals are officially monuments? At arrival in Utrecht we get to an occupied track. This is the reason why we get the yellow flashing light just before arrival at the platform. It's just a train waiting for the new day. We won't try to combine the ICMm and the VIRM. ;) Finally we will go back to Amsterdam via the same route. Now it's getting lighter and lighter outside so there's a lot more to see. Sorry for the extra noise by the way. One of the door rubbers was faulty. Wish I has some ear plugs with me that morning. But I didn't... Ok peeps! Have a very good weekend. If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask them via the comments or one of my other socials. Stay safe and don't get overheated with this hot summer weather. Cheers! Ride Info: https://treinposities.nl/ritinfo/2020... (VIRM only btw). https://treinposities.nl/ritinfo/2020... PS. The ride actually was done on the 12th of July (in my night shift that started the 11th of July). Sorry for the confusion. More about my work:   / machiniststefan     / machiniststefan