REVIEW | On board the NS ICNG-B on the Brussels – Antwerp – Rotterdam – Schiphol Airport – Amsterdam – Lelystad route

Benelux, Amsterdammer or Brusselaar. The intercity train service linking Brussels in Belgium to Amsterdam in the Netherlands has many names and has a long history. From December 2024, there will be two Benelux trains per hour. The ‘IC Snel‘ (‘IC Rapid‘) and the ‘IC Traag‘ (‘IC Slow‘). Those names are said to be temporary. The IC Traag will use Belgian I11 coaches and Traxx locomotives. The IC Snel will use ICNG-B EMUs. In September 2024, Jeroen and I had the opportunity to ride a long on ‘commercial test trials’ between Brussels to Rotterdam.

ICNG stands for Intercity Nieuwe Generatie or Intercity New Generation. This is the name Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) gives to their Alstom Coradia Stream units. This train set also gets the nickname of the Wasp.

There are three types of ICNG, the ICNG for Dutch domestic service, the ICNG-B for trains to and from Belgium and the future ICNG-D for services to and from Germany.

The ICNG-B electric multiple units are numbered 33xx – ours was 3314 – and consist of eight coaches, containing a total of 410 seats. This version has an extra toilet and more luggage space. It is able to use the Belgian rail protection system and 3kV overhead lines.

NS placed an additional order early on for two Coradia suitable for the Belgian rail network (ICNG-B), because the current rolling stock in use for the Amsterdam – Brussels connection – ICR carriages – is due for replacement in 2025. From 2025, 20 units will be available for service to Belgium. At least, according to Wikipedia.

Alstom Coradia

The Alstom Coradia family is used in many countries: Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, France, Norway, Romania, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, Algeria, Senegal and of course the Netherlands. In he Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois (CFL), use a double-deck version.

Lay-out

The ICNG-B has eight coaches or carriages, which is longer than the Dutch domestic ICNG. As it is tailored to (slightly) longer journeys. It has four toilets, one of which is wheelchair accessible.

Speaking of wheelchairs, the amount of priority seats is quite high.

There are dedicated luggage racks, the overhead racks are high, you can store bags behind some seats and the ground clearance of your seat should allow you to store a sizeable bag underneath.

Moods

The ICNG family uses a set of ambient lights to tell passengers in which area they are.

Orange is ‘meeting’, to talk to each other.
Blue is for work. Less four-seater, more two-seater ‘coach’ configuration.
Purple is for (the) silence or silent zone.

Will it work, will it be respected? Let’s wait and see.

The interior

The second class seats are blue and in a 2+2 configuration. Some seats are looking at each other, others don’t. There’s one power socket and USB-A port per two seats. Some seats are like a little sofa. There are several locations for larger luggage.

The seats are firm but comfortable. More than you’d expect from a new train.

First class is pretty similar, but with 2+1 seats or seats facing each other. And you get one socket and USB-A port per one seat. The seats are read a more comfortable. You can recline them.

The seats which are facing each others have tables, which have no foldable section as you might expect. No, these are sturdy one-piece tables.

There are no individual bins but recycling bins near the doors.

Also absent: curtains and window blinds. Nothing to roll down when the sun is too bright. It seems somehow the glass filters sunlight.

Details

The interior of the ICNG-B features some nice little details. The NS tag on seats, for instance. Or the small 1 on interior doors to indicate first class. The S signals you’re entering the silent compartment. And silent means keeping your mouth shut, not talking in a dimmed voice.

The ‘jump seat’ near the doors also get USB-A ports. That’s nice

Information on board

There are many screens to keep you informed. The itinerary, the schedule, a map featuring the limits of the territorial waters (always good to know, I guess), general information and warnings.

My favorite is the slide reminding you you should start your journey with a charged phone so you can show your ticket. That is your responsibility.

Information is provided in Dutch, French, German and English.

The ride

The Wasp travels up to 200 kph and does that pretty smoothly, but is sometimes slightly shaky. We did hear some aerodynamic noises.

Also, in some parts the air conditioning is noisy. The airflow comes from above, which is not a given in trains. Many trains have the airflow coming from the under the windows.

When breaking it does a funny whizzing sound. Does it has a kinetic energy recovery system (KERS)?

So?

The overall atmosphere is nice, light and spacious. The ICNG and ICNG-B are not revolutionary and will perhaps not wow you but it’s very fit for its purpose: transporting many people, many of which will be tourists with luggage, over a medium distance.

Amsterdam South to Brussels South in two hours is not a long journey.

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