Hoekse Lijn Metro

[AlexNL]

One more pic, this time from Vlaardingen West. A metro train towards Hoek van Holland arrives at the completely rebuilt station.

 

[chubs]

Just one platform left at Hoek?

Was it 6 originally?

 

[AlexNL]

The current station at Hoek van Holland Haven, which is the same one as before, is temporary. It has two platforms: one right by the parapet and one a bit further back, which is not covered at all.

Once the extension to Hoek van Holland Strand is completed, a new station will open at HvH Haven. This will be built a bit further along the line, as you can see in this impression:


Source: Hoekse Lijn website

 

[ashkeba]

That looks like a very poor layout. A convoluted S bend for vehicles exiting the ferry and rail & sail passengers have to cross the exiting stream to reach the platforms. Am I missing something?

 

[CNash]

Interrail / Eurail passes are apparently no longer valid on this route, according to Interrail's Twitter team:

"...the RET line in this route is unfortunately not included in the Interrail Pass. You can purchase a ticket for the metro at the station in Hoek van Holland."

https://twitter.com/Interrail/status/1179988332635406336

 

[radamfi]

Interrail / Eurail passes are apparently no longer valid on this route, according to Interrail's Twitter team:

"...the RET line in this route is unfortunately not included in the Interrail Pass. You can purchase a ticket for the metro at the station in Hoek van Holland."

https://twitter.com/Interrail/status/1179988332635406336

Not a major surprise, although this contradicts what it said on the RET site previously. Which other metros are included?

 

[37201xoIM]

If the above is correct, this is actually a major change in policy and should be challenged. See e.g.:
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowT...e_Lijn_opens_30th_September-Train_Travel.html
https://rail.cc/en/hoek-van-holland-schiedam-replacement-bus-servic/n20
http://metdetreinnaarhetbuitenland.nl/railsail-met-de-ferry-van-stena-line-naar-engeland/
(There is no longer anything clear that I can find on RET's site, unlike the clear statement that there was on the now deleted pages relating to the replacement bus services, and, predictably, nothing either way on interrail.eu)

However I suspect that the tweet is in fact probably wrong; I'm not on Twitter myself but would suggest that someone go back to the Interrail people and ask them to re-check this, including with RET themselves and indeed with Stena (because Dutch Flyer rail tickets have also always been announced in the same breath as Interrail as being valid on the metro) - and if they then still insist that IR is not now valid on the metro, then they need to explain why the policy has been changed as against what was previously announced.

For my part, I'm travelling that route on IR the week after next, and if I am required to buy a ticket I shall complain to Interrail and seek a refund of the amount paid.

 

[AlexNL]

I've asked RET on Twitter if they can check the Interrail response. I'll report back when I get a reply from RET.

 

[CNash]

I sent a quick tweet to RET myself the other day to see if they would confirm, and they did:

"Interrail passes are not valid on the Hoekse Lijn Nash. You can only travel with the OV chip card."

https://twitter.com/RETRotterdam/status/1180146305773031424

I will nonetheless eagerly await the response to Alex's tweet, and enquire at Hoek when I arrive there on Monday.

 

[AlexNL]

I got a reply from RET this morning. They confirmed that Interrail passes are not valid on the Hoekse Lijn metro services. The passes were accepted on the replacement buses out of courtesy, but for travel on the Rotterdam metro network, including the Hoekse Lijn, you will need to buy a ticket.

A single "RER 2 uur" ticket (valid for 2 hours after validation) costs € 4. If you're traveling on an OV-chipkaart the journey will cost € 2,22 from Schiedam Centrum.

 

[ashkeba]

So Hoek to Schiedam now costs Interrailers more than an ICE seat? That seems poor and I hope Stena and Interrail are being cross at RET.

 

[Struner]

So Hoek to Schiedam now costs Interrailers more than an ICE seat? That seems poor and I hope Stena and Interrail are being cross at RET.

Usually metros aren’t included in interrail?

 

[ashkeba]

Usually metros aren’t included in interrail?

Usually bus transfers between ferry and train station are. I can't think of another done by metro.

Is metro included on standalone tickets from Any Greater Anglia Station to Any Dutch Station?

 

[bspahh]

Is metro included on standalone tickets from Any Greater Anglia Station to Any Dutch Station?

That is not clear from https://www.stenaline.co.uk/ferry-to-holland/rail-and-sail/ but Seat61 https://www.seat61.com/Netherlands.htm says a Dutch Flyer ticket does include travel on the Metro:

What does the fare include? The fare includes the train from London, Cambridge or any Greater Anglia rail station to Harwich, Stena Line ferry to Hoek van Holland, the metro from Hoek to Schiedam Centrum and the Dutch train from Schiedam to Amsterdam Centraal or any Dutch station, all on one ticket.

Its a ticket for one journey from the port to a Dutch station and not like a travelcard for multiple trips.

 

[AlexNL]

I've also contacted Stena Line NL and pointed out to them that the information on the Dutch part of their website is outdated, they replied that it will be updated shortly.

 

[Struner]

Usually bus transfers between ferry and train station are. I can't think of another done by metro.

Is metro included on standalone tickets from Any Greater Anglia Station to Any Dutch Station?

Bus transfers (in NL) are operated by or on behalf of the ferry company. DFDS (IJmuiden-North Shields) charge for it. Don’t know about P&O (Europoort-Hull).
Don’t know about this “any station” arrangement. Stena talks about NS-stations, but doesn’t explicitly exclude stations served by other companies...

 

[37201xoIM]

Is metro included on standalone tickets from Any Greater Anglia Station to Any Dutch Station?

Pretty sure it is indeed included in "Dutch Flyer" - see inter alia links above.

 

[ashkeba]

Bus transfers (in NL) are operated by or on behalf of the ferry company. DFDS (IJmuiden-North Shields) charge for it. Don’t know about P&O (Europoort-Hull).
Don’t know about this “any station” arrangement. Stena talks about NS-stations, but doesn’t explicitly exclude stations served by other companies...

Europoort-Hull has no Interrail offer and does not appear on the Interrail map, so it seems less relevant. That's poor service by DFDS as well in trying to sell a €6 coach into Amsterdam instead of including the €2,40 bus to the train station (and listing old incorrect information for the buses on their web page). So ferries to the Netherlands are where Interrailers get mugged.

 

[duesselmartin]

I would assume that interrail is not valid on the Paris Metro when going from Gare d'Lyon to Gare du Nord?
I guess HvH would be a similar situation, even if it is a step backwards.
Footpax just don't count for the ferry business anymore.

 

[AlexNL]

Stena Line NL have updated the FAQ section on their Dutch website, it now states that the Rail&Sail tickets are valid on NS and RET. Stena Line UK is sort-of up to date as well: it has the correct timetables and mentions Metro Line B, but also mentions replacement buses and engineering work...

Their website also explicitly states that the train tickets are not valid with other operators such as Arriva and Syntus (nowadays Keolis).

 

[Struner]

So basically it’s a Stena-NS arrangement then, as Greater Anglia is an NS outfit.
Don’t know when the ‘from all stations in NL to London Liverpool St’ arrangement ended.
But €* does offer it - to St Pancras of course.
& Stena could be clearer about all this on its UK website. It talks about ‘all NS-stations*’ , so you expect a footnote, but no.

 

[chubs]

So basically it’s a Stena-NS arrangement then, as Greater Anglia is an NS outfit.
Don’t know when the ‘from all stations in NL to London Liverpool St’ arrangement ended.
But €* does offer it - to St Pancras of course.
& Stena could be clearer about all this on its UK website. It talks about ‘all NS-stations*’ , so you expect a footnote, but no.

It's existed for long before NS/Abellio had the franchise.

Back in Anglia Railways days it was any AR station to any NS station.

 

[dutchflyer]

Usually bus transfers between ferry and train station are. I can't think of another done by metro.

Not usually-only if that bus is run by/on behalf of the ferry comp-like f.e. in Dover or Holyhead (forecourt-across all the trucks etc.)

 

[dutchflyer]

I would assume that interrail is not valid on the Paris Metro when going from Gare d'Lyon to Gare du Nord?
I guess HvH would be a similar situation, even if it is a step backwards.
Footpax just don't count for the ferry business anymore.

IR IS valid on SOME sections of the Paris-RER network, those that used to be normal SNCF-suburban lines before. You can get free ''franchise'' tickets for that from the office-and have bad luck is that is closed or unaware of it. Thats all very strict historic French legality as to hwom owns what.

 

[dutchflyer]

So Hoek to Schiedam now costs Interrailers more than an ICE seat? That seems poor and I hope Stena and Interrail are being cross at RET.

not quite true-IC seat reservations, at least in DE, cost since some time 4,50. But there are many, many cases where holders of IR have to pay for very short sections of travel by other means-just look at the horrendous fares of TfL for a short Z1 underground connection between 2 stops.........
BTW; a SENIOR=65+ only day ticket for all of RET also cost 4,50 and you can, with the appropiate knowledge of how to set the machine, also get it as single use paper chipticket. is also valid on the lines to now HvH and den Haag and on RET-buses as far as Zoetermeer and Dordrecht. it is in fact cheaper as senior-use PAYG on chipcard (33% cheaper) day return of around 15/16 kms-or the stretch HvH-Schiedam.

 

[Struner]

It's existed for long before NS/Abellio had the franchise.
Back in Anglia Railways days it was any AR station to any NS station.

I happily stand corrected. Was more thinking about SMZ/Sealink days. Did BR offer it at the time?
Don’t remember other English destinations being on offer from this side.
But I think Stena-UK could be more straightforward in describing where you can/can’t go in NL.

 

[AlexNL]

But I think Stena-UK could be more straightforward in describing where you can/can’t go in NL.

I think they are pretty clear already about where you can and can't go if you look at their terms and conditions. The only thing which bothers me a little is that their initial marketing blurb states 'any Dutch station', while they say this in their FAQ:

Q: Where can I catch the train from/to in the UK?
A: Any station that is part of the Greater Anglia network.

Q: Where can I catch the train to/from in the Netherlands?
A: Any station that is part of the NS network.

The T&C's page further clarifies it:

Advance single 'Dutchflyer' fares are available only in standard accommodation from any Greater Anglia station and Harwich International and in second class accommodation on NS Railway (Nederlandse Spoorwegen) trains between Hook of Holland and your destination in the Netherlands.

Please note, Rail & Sail train tickets are not valid on private carriers including: Arriva, Breng, Connexxion, Syntus and Thalys. There is an additional charge for Intercity Direct and ICE trains.

I've sent Stena Line UK a tweet about it, let's see if they change the text.

 

[Struner]

That’s what I mean Alex: “any Dutch station” is simply disingenious.
& saying “any NS-station” should be clarified from the very start.
(& keep in mind that most if not all Dutch stations are owned by NS )

 

[duesselmartin]

Somewhat OT. Just tried to find a connection from Duisburg to Hoek in the DB Navigator.
If shows me only connections via the UK.
It took me a while to realise that the Metro is not in that app.

 

[30907]

Somewhat OT. Just tried to find a connection from Duisburg to Hoek in the DB Navigator.
If shows me only connections via the UK.
It took me a while to realise that the Metro is not in that app.

The bus wasn't either. So Europa Spezial no longer valid either.