Target date 2012 for upgrading Dutch railway system

UTRECHT - The massive drive to upgrade the railroad lines, railway schedules, and infrastructure will not be finished until 2012. With 6,550 kilometres of railways (mostly double tracked) in a grid spanning 2,800 kilometres, and a schedule of over 5,000 rides a day, the Dutch railway system is the most traveled one in the world. Since 1995, two entities look after the railways. NS (Nederlandse Spoorwegen - Dutch Railways) takes care of passenger traffic, while a former subsidiary now called ProRail is responsible for managing the railroads. The two work hand-in-hand to provide a steadily improving service to the passengers but were the butt of severe criticism in recent years.