Editing RijnGouweLijn (section)

=== Test traffic with light rail vehicles ===

In March 2003 test traffic was started between Gouda and Alphen aan den Rijn with light rail equipment on existing rail tracks, largely using RGL vehicles. These were [[Bombardier Transportation|Bombardier]] A32s, a model that is also used on the [[Tvärbanan]] light rail line in [[Stockholm]]. The grey and blue trams were fitted with yellow stickers to resemble NS "Sprinter" trains. On 13 December 2009, the trial ended and  "Sprinter" trains took over the line. The A32 trams were sold to Stockholm.

====Lower platforms====
In North [[Waddinxveen]] the existing platform was extended with a low wooden platform. At [[Boskoop]] the island platform was considerably extended and this is the only concrete platform apart from the platform at [[Gouda, South Holland|Gouda]]. In [[Alphen aan den Rijn]] a new 4LR wooden platform was built along the old freight track. There is a fence between the two separate tracks, to improve driver safety as the cab door opens directly onto the track, not on the platform.

Because the trains are wider than the A32 trams, extra warning stripes were placed along the platforms to warn passengers of the height/width difference in alighting and boarding.

The operation suffered from frequent signal interference caused by malfunctioning axle counters and/or ATP-NG-train security. Soon the RGL got a bad reputation because of the cancellation of a large number of journeys. However the number of passengers per day, around 5,000, during the period 2003-2009 was stable, despite a large increase in many other rail routes in the Randstad. The six light rail vehicles purchased for the test eventually proved inadequate, also because of the large number of problems they faced.

====End of test====

In August 2009 it was announced that the proposed precursor of the RGL on the Gouda-Alphen route would disappear as of 13 December 2009, because using only [[NS Sprinter Lighttrain|Sprinter]] the train timetables could be improved. A more direct train service between Gouda and Leiden Centraal was introduced, decreasing the travel time by 8 minutes.