Dutch Rail Map (2021)

Dutch Rail Map (2021)

The Dutch Railway map (Dutch: Nederlandse Spoorkaart) was originally released in 2021. The map started development at the end of September 2019. The project stopped and started, stopped and restarted a few times, up until its submission to the printers in May of 2021.

Nederlandse Spoorkaart
Sub title: Toen, tegenwoordig en in de toekomst (Then, now, and in the future).
SKU: SL-M-010
ISBN: 9789083135632
Print runs: 1
Size: B2 (50x70 cm)
Paper: 200 grams Silk Machine Coated full-color

Available for purchase

Production

The map was entirely drawn in Adobe Illustrator and finalized for print in Adobe InDesign. Feedback was collected through Sebas' Twitter account. The original working title of the map was Historische Spoorkaart or "Historical Railway Map."

There were at least 7 internal versions, with the current most up-to-date Illustrator file being version 8. A pre-production version for a second print run. During the making of the map at least 2 major mistakes were made:

- Former station Harmelen and current station Woerden were placed on the line towards Leiden, where they ought to have been placed further east, before the line from Utrecht splits in two.
- The former station Eefde was placed on the line from Zutphen to Hengelo, which has been a point of contention online. But it seems to have been incorrect, having sourced a historical map which clearly puts the station on the line towards Deventer.

These mistakes will be corrected in a second print run.

Design

The map was inspired by the classic NS (Dutch Railways) line maps that could be found on stations. However it has some notable differences: It doesn't have the typical yellow color. It also features railway lines and stations that no longer exist or are no longer in use for (train) passenger services.

There is a distinction between electrified, non-electrified and high speed rail. High-speed is purple, electrified is dark blue, non-electrified is light blue. However, for the second print run the colors will be slightly tweaked to increase contrast.

The map features the Univers font in various versions.

Credits

Many people provided feedback when the map was in production. I've sadly not properly kept a list of all the persons who helped out.

For the second print run feedback was provided by at least:
Wichor Bramer

Availability

The map was submitted to the KB (Royal Dutch Library).
It can also be purchased from SVDB.shop

 

Original Specifications

Language Dutch
Print One-sided full-colour
Language Dutch
Print type

Offset print

Size 50x70cm - 19.6x27.5in
Paper size B2
Paper weight 180 grams
ISBN 9789083135632
SKU

SL-M-010

Total run 150
Edition first