Major outage disrupts train traffic to and from north and east Netherlands
A technical failure has disrupted train traffic across large parts of the Netherlands on Tuesday morning. The disruption mainly affects routes to and from the north and east of the country, ProRail reported. NS reported problems on 23 routes, many of which involve no trains running, though some may be unrelated to this major outage.
The issue stems from a fault in a railway safety system designed to detect trains on the tracks. Because the system is malfunctioning, rail traffic control can’t say for certain whether a track is occupied, which makes safe travel impossible.
The safety system has failed at 13 locations for still unknown reasons, a ProRail spokesperson told NOS. “We are currently investigating the matter. Once we identify the cause, it could be resolved quickly, but we need to find the source first.”
NS reports no trains running between Amersfoort and Zwolle, Utrecht and Arnhem, Arnhem and Zutphen, Amersfoort and Ede-Wageningen, Amersfoort and Deventer, Zwolle and Leeuwarden, Zwolle and Almelo, Zwolle and Deventer, Deventer and Enschede, and Amersfoort and Deventer.
Train traffic is also halted between Leeuwarden and Harlingen Haven due to a broken track, and between Zwolle and Emmen due to a stranded train. And there are fewer trains or delays on several other routes.
Travelers are advised to check the travel planner for current information before setting out.
