The end of the track

The Railway Museum in the Dutch city of Utrecht has done an excellent job of showcasing the history of trains and creating a fun place for all!

Written by Michael Turtle

Michael Turtle is the founder of Time Travel Turtle. A journalist for more than 20 years, he's been travelling the world since 2011.

Michael Turtle is the founder of Time Travel Turtle and has been travelling full time for a decade.

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Railway Museum, Utrecht, The Netherlands

I spend a fair bit of time on trains. I feel like I’ve seen a lot of them. And I’ve heard a lot of them.

The soothing buh-dum buh-dum of the European trains that wind their way past forests and through tunnels…

The futuristic hum of the Japanese trains that shoot past small towns on their mission to the big cities…

The sound of crazy as men talk to themselves and rustle brown paper bags on the American trains…

And the crashing ja-jang of the trains in Myanmar that throw passengers and bags about so hard you have to hang on.

But I had never heard much about the Dutch trains.

Railway Museum, Utrecht, The Netherlands

The Netherlands is better known for their boats – those that traditionally glide along the canals of the major cities, and those that once sailed across oceans to expand the empire.

But these days it’s the trains which transport people across the country and out to the rest of Europe. The railways have a long history, albeit one that doesn’t immediately come to mind.

In the Dutch city of Utrecht, a museum tells the story of the trains of The Netherlands. What started as a small exhibition in 1927 has grown into a large interactive experience that welcomes more than 350,000 visitors a year.

An old station called Maliebaan was initially converted for the museum but over the years it has been restored to its original style and the exhibits have spread out over a huge area behind it.

Railway Museum, Utrecht, The Netherlands

This very modern museum has rides, shows, restaurants… oh, and lots and lots of trains. It would not be hard for a family to spend half a day here with some children and I’m sure that’s what a lot of the local Utrecht residents were doing on the afternoon I visited.

I mean, it has a rollercoaster that takes you through the history of trains – how cool is that?!

The Railway Museum in Utrecht is also an extremely photogenic place. I would like to share with you some photos I took there so you can get a sense of it for yourself.

Railway Museum, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Railway Museum, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Railway Museum, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Railway Museum, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Railway Museum, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Railway Museum, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Railway Museum, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Railway Museum, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Railway Museum, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Railway Museum, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Railway Museum, Utrecht, The Netherlands

THE BEST ACCOMMODATION IN UTRECHT

Utrecht has a good range of accommodation and you should be able to find something in the city centre at a reasonable price.

BACKPACKER

For a good value hostel with a great vibe, I suggest Stayokay Utrecht Centrum.

BUDGET

Utrecht is an expensive city, but you can get reasonable private rooms at the cool Bunk Hotel

BOUTIQUE

When it comes to design hotels, I love what Hotel Beijers has done with the heritage building.

LUXURY

And with the best of modern luxury, Inntel Hotels Utrecht Centre also has a fantastic breakfast.

Time Travel Turtle was a guest of Visit Utrecht but the opinions, over-written descriptions and bad jokes are his own.

18 thoughts on “The end of the track”

    • That film was really cool because the ‘carriage’ moved around as you sped down the track. I think it was designed for kids but I loved it! I guess I’m just a big kid when it comes to train museums!

      Reply
    • It’s not really like that anywhere these days, is it? Oh, expect maybe some of those special tourist-only ones like the Ghan. But can you imagine jumping on a commuter train from London to Manchester and getting a carriage like that. Ha!

      Reply
  1. I like super-specific museums like this. Staring at paintings is fine for a while, but incredibly detailed exhibits on particular topics like railway travel is such a big learning experience that’s hard to duplicate the way you could by looking at pictures of paintings instead of visiting a museum of them.

    Reply
    • I’m the same as you. I feel like I don’t learn enough at art galleries or generalist museums (although that probably says more about me than them). but somewhere like this you can really get absorbed in the world of train for an afternoon and feel like you’ve taken something onboard.

      Reply
    • It’s super fun. I’m so glad that a museum about trains had some rides so you feel like you’re actually on the trains sometimes. It would be annoying otherwise because it makes train travel look so glamourous!

      Reply

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