New Amsterdam Metro

Today was originally reserved for the parents of the princes described on Friday and Monday. However, other more recent things came up and I need to tell you about that.


This morning, I had the luck of taking the first ride in the new metro (in Amsterdam). I was, with some other not impressed people and a bunch of journalists, lucky enough to have the very first ride of that new metro which is, according to the leaflet, the most ultra modern metro in Europe. Lucky us!

Photographer

I know I sound somewhat cynical. Overall the metro does make a very fresh and spaceous impression. Everything is clean, because we didn’t get the chance yet to throw food through it. The paths inside are broad, because the seats are lined up next to each other to the walls under the windows. No four seaters and no two seaters. There are only three chairs lined up against the wall which face forward or backward whichever direction the metro drives. Across the path of the three separate seats are two spaces for wheelchairs which, if the seats are up, have enough space for a wheelchair to stand comfortably.

A parking space for wheelchairs (check feet)

All that is fantastic, but it seems to me there are not as many seats as we’re used to. There is a lot of standing space which would be fine if there were just as many places you can cling to. There are not. In the small spaces in front of the doors are some nicely formed handles, but between the lined seats there is nothing to hold on to. It makes me wish I don’t have to stand in busy metro’s too often. I don’t mind standing as long I can hold onto something, but with me being rather small and unstable, I really don’t want to find myself stuck in the middle of the metro. It’s asking for embarrassement. Not that anyone cares untill they fall over themselves.

The regular visualisation of the metro lines.
The different lights represent the stations still ahead.

What caught my eyes almost immediately, is the sheer amount of information given in the metro. All together there are three screens or visuals telling you where you’re going, where you’re arriving and where you have been. Sounds like a bit of overkill which, if you think about it, indeed is. GVB does take the opportunity to show some adverts on one of the screens. The metro feels, in that respect, a lot like our trains these days. Maybe they’ll also show you speed and temperature outside.

We arrived at Venserpolder.

Talking about temperature, it was quite hot in the metro. Me being hot is exceptional. After registering the heat I checked for to open windows which weren’t there. There is an air conditioning system in the metro. I hope the metro’s will be able to cool down or heat up suffiently. I’m a bit scared of that.

Let’s see how things will work out.