Class ICR (InterCity Coaches) |
Number series:
These are the standard coaches used for InterCity trains. They have been
ordered in 4 separate batches. Division is made between national coaches and
coaches allowed in the neighbouring countries (Belgium, Luxemburg and
Germany).
The coaches are based on the middle coach of trainsets class ICM. The bogies
are different, these are of the type Y32. This type is also used for the French
Corail coaches. The first class coaches are half open (2+1 seating) and half
compartments with 6 seats. These coaches have a telephone. The second class
coaches (including the ones with luggage room) are all open with 2+2 seating.
All coaches have one wide (1300mm) and one smaller (900mm) set of doors on each
side.
Within The Netherlands the coaches are used on the lines Haarlem - Amsterdam -
Utrecht - Eindhoven (- Maastricht) and on The Hague - Rotterdam - Breda -
Eindhoven - Heerlen/Venlo. For international trains they are used on
one train Haarlem - Luxemburg on saturdays and sundays during the summer only.
They operate with locomotives class
1800 (renumbered from 1600 in 1999) and class 1700.
In February 2000 a major revision of these coaches has started. They will get
airconditioning, new furniture and cables that allow them to be used in pull-
pull formations (loc+6B+3A+BD+loc). 22 coaches will be rebuilt to driving
trailers for push-pull operations (loc+3B+A+BDs). In December 2000 the
first two rebuilt coaches (one A and B) were presented to the press, at the
end of 2003 the first trains with the new driving trailers started operating
on Zwolle-Arnhem-Roosendaal (IJssellijn) and in early 2004 on Haarlem-Maastricht.
At the end of 2006 the rebuilt was complete, although 10 second class coaches
extra are being rebuilt into driving trailer (130 B and 32 Bs in the end).
In practice the coaches are used in long (10/11/12-car) push-pull sets.
In 2007 the first coaches were adapted for use in the trains over the new
high-speed line Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Breda/Antwerp-Brussels. See also the
NS Highspeed coaches.
In 2009 there are "long" sets of 10 coaches used on Eindhoven-Schiphol
Airport and The Hague-Venlo, and "short" sets of 7 coaches used on
Roosendaal-Zwolle. All are used in push-pull mode with locomotives class
1700.