NETHERLANDS: Arriva Nederland has awarded Stadler a contract to supply five Stadler Flirt electric multiple-units to enhance capacity and comfort on Vechtdal Lines services.
In 2025 the provinces of Overijssel and Drenthe selected current operator Arriva for the next contract to operate passenger services on the 76 km Zwolle – Emmen and 19 km Almelo – Mariënberg – Hardenberg routes for 15 years from December 2028.
Arriva has operated the services since 2012. ‘During this time, passenger numbers and customer satisfaction have grown steadily thanks to timetable improvements and the introduction of modern rolling stock’, said Annemarie Hoogeveen, regional director at Arriva Nederland, when the rolling stock order was announced on January 5. ‘The five new Flirt units will support capacity increases between Zwolle and Emmen and further strengthen regional rail connectivity.’
From 2028 there will be a half-hourly service on the Almelo – Hardenberg route for most of the day, while the Zwolle – Emmen route will gain and earlier and later trains and more peak services.
Arriva is to modernise 15 Stadler GTW electric multiple-units for the services, and the five new Flirt EMUs will accommodate additional demand expected once the Almelo – Mariënberg line is electrified enabling the current Alstom Lint 41 DMUs to be withdrawn. Political agreement to fund the €75m electrification project was reached in October 2025, and infrastructure manager ProRail is to appoint contractors imminently with a view to completion in 2028.
The four-car Flirts will have 248 seats, including 12 in first class, and a total capacity of 457 passengers. The spacious interiors will have multifunctional areas which can be used for cycle storage or for additional seating according to seasonal demand. There will be dedicated spaces for wheelchair users, an accessible toilet, power sockets, real-time passenger information displays, clear signage and a quiet area.
The trains will carry the regional RRReis livery of purple, blue and green used in Flevoland, Gelderland and Overijssel.
