A survey conducted amongst train passengers in 2022 has revealed the Netherlands’ favourite train stations, with Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) announcing that all three podium places went to stations located in the province of Limburg.

NS on the hunt for the most beloved train stations

Carried out annually by I&O Research, the Station Experience Monitor surveyed 85.000 NS passengers. Overall, the study revealed that people in the Netherlands were generally more pleased with the quality of Dutch stations than in 2021, with the average score rising slightly from 7,31 in 2021 to 7,32 out of 10 in 2022. 

This marks an ongoing trend amongst users of Dutch public transport, with NS noting that overall appreciation for and satisfaction with stations in the Netherlands has been rising annually for the past seven years. In fact, in 2016, train stations received an average score of just 6,94 out of 10. 

“The fact that the rating for stations has been rising for seven years now shows that we are well in line with the wishes of our passengers,” says Femke Woudstra, director of Station Management at NS. “Stations are no longer just the place where you wait for the train. They have become an extension of the city and its surroundings, from which you can continue your journey. You can eat well there, meet each other or run a quick errand.”

Limburg dominates ranking of Dutch train stations

While on the whole Dutch train stations received a very respectable score, the survey has also revealed the nation’s favourite stations. While members of the public might expect one of the swish stations in cities like Rotterdam or Utrecht to take the top spot, the three highest-rated stations were found to all be in significantly more rural areas. 

Coming in at number one as the most loved station in the Netherlands is Klimmen-Ransdaal, with an overall rating of 8,3 out of 10. The station might be small (it has just two platforms), but travellers appreciate its hilly surroundings and the historical building, which dates back to 1913 and has a restaurant and outdoor terrace overlooking the platforms. 

Indeed, the southern part of Limburg is certainly doing something right where train stations are concerned, as coming in second and third place were Schuin op Geul (8,2) and Valkenburg (8,1). Like Klimmen-Ransdaal, these are both located on the South Limburg Heuvellandlijn, which runs from Maastricht Randwyck, via Maastricht and Heerlen, through to Kerkrade. 

Image: Valkenburg, Milos Ruzicka via Shutterstock.com.

Rotterdam has the best station out of the major cities 

But what about the bigger station in the cities? Out of all the Netherlands’ largest train stations, Rotterdam Centraal claimed the top spot, coming in sixth place overall with a score of 8 out of 10. It was the only city station to feature in the top 10. According to NS, travellers complimented the station for being “nice, clean, and well arranged”.

Delft and Utrecht Centraal performed well too, both achieving the above-average score of 7,8. Of the stations in the Dutch capital, Amsterdam Centraal performed the best, matching its 2021 score of 7,5 out of 10, while Amsterdam Lelylaan received the lowest score (6,3). 

Amsterdam Lelylaan, however, was definitely not the lowest-scoring station in the Netherlands. That accolade goes to Lage Zwaluwe, which NS says received the “unsatisfactory” score of just 5,2. 

Image: Rotterdam Centraal, BYonkruud via Shutterstock.com.

Top 10 train stations in the Netherlands, according to travellers

According to the Station Experience Monitor 2022, the top 10 train stations in the Netherlands are: 

1. Klimmen-Ransdaal (8,3) 
2. Schuin op Geul (8,2) 
3. Valkenburg (8,1) 
4. Mantfum (8,1) 
5. Oosterbeek (8,0) 
6. Rotterdam Centraal (8,0)
7. Gramsbergen (8,0)
8. Santpoortzuid (8,0)
9. Feanwâlden (8,0)
10. Houthel-St.Gerlach (8,0)

For more information about the results of the survey, visit the NS website.

Thumb: Klimmen-Ransdaal, Frans Blok via Shutterstock.com.