It’s been a long-awaited feature of NS sprinter trains, but it is finally here: the toilet! Although not all Sprinter trains will have toilets straight away, the first couple took to the tracks on Thursday, August 9.
At some moment in time, having a Sprinter train without a toilet seemed like a good idea, but in retrospect, according to the NS, they shouldn’t have gone through with those plans. The NS is now working on sprucing up Sprinter trains and adding a toilet as well as a few other features.
As well as a large, wheelchair accessible toilet, two spots for bicycles will be added, along with a sliding step by the entrance. In order to make the improved Sprinters even more wheelchair-friendly, two spaces are reserved especially with clear markings on the floor. Wheelchair spaces are also provided with a call for aid button. For those who are visually impaired, Sprinter trains are equipped with tactile information.
The first two new and improved Sprinters are already in use and another is expected to follow pretty soon. However, it will likely take until the end of 2021 before all 131 Sprinter trains are refitted. In 2011, the House of Representative compelled the NS to equip all trains with a toilet by 2025.
It’s not just the toilets and extra spaces for bicycles and wheelchairs that will be added to Sprinter trains, they will also get a new look, as the 35.000 train seats will be reupholstered starting 2019. This will give the Sprinters the same look as the FLIRT-Sprinters.
Photo source: NS