Train Cab Ride NL / Den Helder - Alkmaar - Zaandam / VIRM Intercity / Dec 2020 + Jan 2021

Hi everyone! It’s time to publish a new cab ride for you all! :D This time from Den Helder to Alkmaar and from there with an empty train to Zaandam! Unfortunately I haven’t been able to record any snow rides this week because all my shifts got cancelled this week. Too bad!
Thank God I have loads of videos waiting for you all.

0:00 Den Helder
3:11 Den Helder Zuid
7:25 Bridge without overhead wires
10:11 Anna Paulowna
13:30 Train dispatcher calling
18:05 Schagen
20:41 Slowing down the train for person next to the tracks
23:08 Giving update to train dispatcher
29:00 Heerhugowaard
33:20 Alkmaar Noord
34:43 Alkmaar + combining train
37:57 Change of trains at Alkmaar
42:21 Heiloo
45:52 Castricum
49:00 Uitgeest
53:40 Krommenie-Assendelft
54:35 Brigde without overhead wires
55:20 Wormerveer
57:35 Zaandijk Zaanse Schans
58:40 Koog aan de Zaan
59:36 Zaandam

Den Helder - Alkmaar:
We depart perfectly on time from Den Helder. This trip will take us via Den Helder Zuid, Anna Paulowna, Schagen, Heerhugowaard and Alkmaar Noord to Alkmaar. There we change trains (and date) and continue our journey to Zaandam. Between Den Helder and Alkmaar we will pass two bridges without power lines. At those bridges the power lines are raised to a level where the pantographs came loose from the line. They get blocked at a certain height. Then on the other side the pantographs slide under the wires again and are pushed down a little. This way the driver only needs to shut down the engines of the train. All vital things like safety systems and lights will keep on going on the batteries of the train for a short time.

Just after Anna Paulowna the train dispatcher gives us a call. This is because there’s a man walking next to the tracks between Schagen and Heerhugowaard. The train dispatcher gives us an order to drive on sight at the location where the man was spotted and asks us to report back to him when we have passed by.

After writing down the order we speed up the train and are just in time on arrival at Schagen. After this the reach the point where we must drive on sight for a while very soon. When we arrive at the locations no one near the tracks can be found. There are only a few people having a chat near the railway crossover, but that’s not a problem. After passing by we make a call to the train dispatcher to report the situation is all safe now.

From this moment on it’s time to keep the train on its maximum speed until we’re back on schedule. We are now two minutes behind on schedule and we don’t like that of course. Just before Heerhugowaard we almost encounter a red signal due to some problems between Heerhugowaard and Hoorn. But this gets solved quickly. With a 2-minute delay we arrive. Then soon after this we are back on schedule. Even though we arrive on an occupied platform at Alkmaar.

Alkmaar - Zaandam
In Alkmaar it’s time to change date and train. I thought you might like it if I combined those two rides, so here we go! We take an empty train from Alkmaar to Zaandam. This due to shortage on space on the shunting yard in Alkmaar. This train will be staying in Zaandam for the day and then will be needed in Alkmaar again during rush hour.

On our way to Zaandam we keep the train on speed and of course make no stops at all. At Uitgeest the train dispatcher takes us for a detour. This is done to make sure the tracks we’re using are not getting covered in a thick layer of rust.

As soon as we get passed Uitgeest we speed up the train and arrive a little early in Zaandam. There we leave the train. After the video I took another train to Amsterdam and there I continued with my shift. I hope you all like this video. If you have any questions regarding it or something else, please let me know! Enjoy your weekend and stay safe everyone. Cheers!

More info about the ride:
3061: https://treinposities.nl/ritinfo/20201228/3061
80373: no info available.

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Видео Train Cab Ride NL / Den Helder - Alkmaar - Zaandam / VIRM Intercity / Dec 2020 + Jan 2021 канала Machinist Stefan