Arriva puts long-idled Flirts into service in NL, but not on their intended route

Private operator Arriva has begun deploying part of its long-idled fleet of new Stadler EMUs in the Dutch province of South Limburg, as ongoing delays to the electrification of the Maaslijn, the Nijmegen–Roermond route on which they were originally meant to run, continue to postpone their intended entry into service.

Two Stadler Flirt electric multiple units, originally procured for the Netherlands’ Maaslijn route between Nijmegen and Roermond in the south-east of the country, are now operating further south in Limburg on regional services between Sittard–Heerlen and Roermond–Maastricht. While the remaining nine units remain sidelined, the move marks the first active use of the fleet after years in storage.

The trains were delivered several years ago in anticipation of the Maaslijn electrification, which was initially expected to enable electric operations as early as 2020. However, repeated delays to infrastructure works have left the new fleet unusable on its intended corridor. According to Dutch outlet Treinreiziger, the units have effectively been stored for around seven years while awaiting completion of the project.

Dutch infrastructure manager ProRail only began installing overhead line equipment on the route last year, with full electrification now scheduled for completion by the end of 2027, more than seven years behind its original target.

An interim deployment

Arriva and the Province of Limburg have therefore opted to deploy two of the trains elsewhere in the region to mitigate the operational and financial impact of the delays. Arriva said deploying the trains in South Limburg now would allow drivers to gain experience with the new rolling stock and ensure that “points of attention” are identified and addressed early, so that the introduction of the units on the Maaslijn at the end of 2027 can proceed more smoothly.

As reported by Treinreiziger, keeping the fleet in storage has cost millions of euros, with the Province of Limburg and the Dutch state covering those expenses. By bringing part of the fleet into service, those costs can be partially offset.

Alternative deployment options have also been considered, with Limburg having previously explored using the trains on services in the north of the Netherlands, including express operations between Zwolle and Groningen. However, that idea was dropped because there was no agreement with Dutch ministries over whether student travel passes would be accepted.

For now, only two of the eleven units will be used operationally, with the rest remaining in storage until the Maaslijn electrification is completed.

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