Train Cab Ride NL / Leiden – Schiphol – Hoorn Kersenboogerd + shunting / SLT Sprinter / Nov 2017

Train Drivers View on the sprinter service from Leiden (shunt track) to Hoorn Kersenboogerd (shunt track). It’s a beautiful autumn day outside, round about 7 degrees Celsius, little rain, little bit of sun. Typical Dutch! We get to run an SLT (number 2405) with just four carriages.

After we came from Hoorn to Leiden we’ve turned the train around on the shunt track on the south side of the station. After all the necessary tests and given our new destination to the computer we are ready for a new ride back to Hoorn. As you can see, on the left there’s a path to walk on. This is made so combined trains can also be turned the other way on this track. Without the walking path it wouldn’t be save for the train driver to go outside to get into the other train.

As soon as our signal is giving another color than red we depart to pick up our first passenger at the platform. As soon as we’ve arrived we do a walkie-talkie test with our train manager. He also tells us he doesn’t get the ‘departure light’ at the platform yet, although our signal has already turned yellow. And that is correct! The departure light for the train manager will only turn on when our signal in the end of the platform also doesn’t tell us to stop the train. As soon as that happens we depart a minute later than planned from Leiden.

Now, normally we speed up the train to its maximum speed to get back on schedule ASAP. Now we don’t do that because that one minute can also beaten between Sassenheim and Nieuw-Vennep. And there are no other trains that want to pass by until Hoofddorp, so no problems here. We arrive with that same minute delay on our first stop. From that moment on we keep the train on its maximum speed and arrive perfectly on time in Nieuw-Vennep. BTW: if you take a good look you can see a little bit of rainbow right in front of us!

From this moment on we keep the train on its schedule without problems. After we departed from Schiphol Airport we welcome everyone on board. First in English because of all the tourists going to Amsterdam and of course we also welcome our Dutch fellas in the train. Sorry for the fact I stumble upon words by the way. ;)

In Amsterdam Sloterdijk we give another message to our passenger because it happens a lot that tourists take the wrong train. They think this train also goes to Amsterdam Central Station. No problem, but they must get out on Sloterdijk because they’re ticket won’t be valid further on our way to Hoorn.

After our departure from Sloterdijk we continue to Zaandam and Purmerend. All perfectly on time until we reach Purmerend. Because there has been a little bit of rain the tracks in Weidevenne and Purmerend are a little bit slippery, which is why our departure takes a little bit longer than planned. As soon as we arrive in Overwhere we’re one minute behind on schedule. No biggy.. we just accelerate to the maximum speed between Purmerend and Hoorn, and we’re back on schedule on our next stop.

Now, on our arrival in Kersenboogerd, the final stop for this train. Everyone gets out and we depart to the shunt track ahead of us. There are some special rules here because of the neighborhood. So, maximum 10km/h from the junctions to the end of the tracks, lights turned off and the train must be taking all the way to the tracks end.

In the end of the video at the shunt track the volume of the video will be set to mute for about a minute. I don't know why this happened. Couldn't fix it on the computer. Luckily the images are still working. :)

I hope you enjoyed this video. If you have any other question, please let me know in the comments and I’m happy to answer! Cheers!

ATB Track Speed: Max ATB speed given to the train from the tracks.
Vmax: Max speed for that particular part of the tracks.
Vlimit: Max speed given by signals, temporary speed limits on the tracks etc..

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