Will you be our new colleague? Join us now!
The aim of the Zuid-Limburgse Stoomtrein Maatschappij (ZLSM), or the Miljoenenlijn, is the preservation of cultural and historical heritage. We pursue this goal by providing a tourist and recreational service with historic railway rolling stock.
What is special is that almost the entire operation is made possible by the enthusiastic commitment of no less than 250 volunteers. They work in various positions such as conductor, driver, nature assistant, technical assistant and secretarial assistant.
All these people are looking for new colleagues! Are you interested in working in a pleasant environment to preserve heritage, manage flora and fauna and/or maintain trains? Then the Miljoenenlijn is the right place for you!
General information for our vacancies
All vacancies are open to both women and men.
For more information about these vacancies, please contact the office of the Miljoenenlijn in Simpelveld by telephone or in writing:
Stationstraat 22
6369 VJ Simpelveld
Phone: +31 (0) 45 544 00 18
E-mail: info@miljoenenlijn.nl
As a volunteer you will come into contact with many different people. You have contact with the guests of the Miljoenenlijn, but also with a large group of colleagues. In addition, we offer you a fun hobby. You will work in a position that matches your personal interests with a frequency that suits you. And if necessary, we provide internal training.
However, voluntariness is not without obligation! Together we bear a responsibility and therefore we expect a mentality of: “A deal is a deal!”.
Curious about the experience of a volunteer? Read the stories of volunteers in “Vrijwilligers aan het woord.”
For more information on voluntary work, visit the websites We Helpen and (specifically for the municipality of Simpelveld) D’r Durpswinkel.
Are you interested in volunteering at the Miljoenenlijn? Then register now for one of our introductory meetings and fill in the form below and return it to us at vrijwilligers@miljoenenlijn.nl.
We have different types of vacancies for volunteer work. Please see below for the possible positions.
Ticket clerk
Ticket clerks man the ticket offices at Simpelveld station on driving days. You are often the first contact with our travellers. You give the traveller information about the tickets for a train journey and our packages. You sell the tickets and are responsible for the revenue and the stock of place cards.
You start your training as an aspiring ticket clerk and work as a host or hostess during the first year. You will then have tasks that provide service, maintain contact with travellers and get to know the organisation of the Miljoenenlijn. You will then become a ticket clerk. Some fluency in German and English is recommended.
Curious about a volunteer’s experience as a counter operator? Read the story of John here.
Medewerker Parks Department
If you enjoy being outside with vegetation, animals and/or nature, then the position of employee at the Parks Department will suit you well. The Parks Department Assistants are involved in the maintenance and management of the station vegetation, all the vegetation along the Miljoenenlijn and can contribute to the care of sheep.
The Parks Department management of the Miljoenenlijn takes place at various levels. From manual pruning of standard fruit trees or hedges to highly professional motor chain sawing with the use of a railway crane. There is suitable Parks Department work for everyone in all seasons.
You start with a few days of shadowing to get to know the work and our other volunteers. After that, you can choose in which direction you want to develop. Courses are given regularly for various aspects of landscaping work. Volunteers who work with power saws, for example, are obliged to take a course and receive annual retraining.
The work takes place continuously, both at weekends and on weekdays. People gather at the workshop of the Miljoenenlijn in Simpelveld and from there they leave for the work site. This is located along the railway line between Schin op Geul-Simpelveld-Kerkrade or Simpelveld-Bocholtz-Vetschau.
Curious about the experience of a volunteer as a green worker? Read the story of Lars here.
Site Management employee
As a volunteer in the workgroup Location Management you are partly responsible for the appearance of our museum!
These include household jobs such as painting, replacing lighting and providing an attractive decoration for the stations and platforms. But also larger jobs belong to the tasks. You ensure that our guests experience the nostalgic steam train experience!
May we welcome you to our friendly team of more than 250 enthusiastic volunteers?
Then send an e-mail to volontair@miljoenenlijn.nl and we will provide you with all the necessary information!
Signalman
The Miljoenenlijn owns four signal boxes which are maintained and operated by volunteers. If you are at least 18 years old and enjoy running historic trains in a classic manner, then this is a job for you.
A signalman works together with a train dispatcher. Among other things, you ensure that trains and shunting sections move safely. You do this with the aid of the Miljoenenlijn’s historical signalling system. This is a mechanical signalling system, fully restored and made operational by our volunteers, as used by NS in the past. You will work in one of the signal boxes, where you can remotely switch points and operate signals in the control area of the signal box where you are on duty by means of a trading device made of metal wires and chains. After an internal training you can work independently. Technical insight is an advantage, but not necessarily required.
Curious about the experience of a volunteer signalman? Read the story of Ivo here.
Host / Conductor
If you enjoy dealing with people and serving our guests, the position of conductor is something for you. The minimum starting age is 16 years. You start for one year as a host/ticket seller and then you can become a conductor.
As a host you are there for the travellers: you sell tickets on the train and provide information. For this purpose, you receive theoretical training, which includes the story of the history of the Miljoenenlijn and other interesting facts. You will also learn how to deal with travellers and you will receive practical instruction on our ticketing system – because we still have real train tickets! You will also receive practical instruction on how to be a host on the train, so you will be well prepared.
If you like this job after a year, you can apply to become a conductor. You will also receive training for this, both in theory and in practice. The conductor not only cuts and sells tickets, but also has safety tasks, such as participating in the departure procedure and operating level crossings.
Curious about the experience of a volunteer as a conductor? Read Bart’s story here.
Shop assistant
As a volunteer in ‘t Winkeltje, the small homely souvenir shop at Simpelveld station, you are one of the faces of our museum!
You help our guests find exactly what they are looking for: From a Thomas toy train to an interesting book about steam trains. Or a nice walking or cycling tour! In this way, you make sure that the train passenger can think back on their visit to the Miljoenenlijn with a broad smile.
Can we welcome you to our cosy team of more than 270 enthusiastic volunteers?
Then send an e-mail to volontair@miljoenenlijn.nl and we will provide you with all the necessary information!
Train dispatcher
If you have reached the age of 18 and have gained sufficient experience as a signalman, you can advance to the position of train dispatcher. A dispatcher is responsible for the safe movement of trains and shunting gear across the stations and sections of track on the Miljoenenlijn. He works together with signalmen from a central station, “Post T”, and is in contact with signalmen, train drivers and ProRail’s traffic control. In short, a signaller is a spider in a web. Do you think ahead, are you solution-oriented and do you dare to take on a challenge? Then this job is for you!
Curious about the experience of a volunteer as a dispatcher? Read the story of Hans here.
Chief conductor
Once you have worked as a conductor for several years, you can become a chief conductor. A chief conductor is in charge of a passenger train and other train staff and is responsible for passenger safety.
The position of chief conductor requires leadership skills, you must be a team player and in case of emergencies you must know how to act. This position requires you to follow additional courses. These are the shunting controller course and the main conductor course. You must also be at least 18 years old.
Curious about the experience of a volunteer as chief conductor? Read the story of Dan here.
At the moment there are no vacancies for internships.
Internship proposals can be sent to info@miljoenenlijn.nl.