Dutch train travelers should be prepared for more disruptions on the tracks, said ProRail on Thursday. The railroad infrastructure firm made the comments as part of its annual report for 2023. The first months of this year have not been promising for train travelers. The results were so disappointing that ProRail could receive a fine if improvements are not made. The railway manager is working "hard to determine what measures are necessary."
One in ten trains operated this year by Dutch national railway NS faced delays, the NS and infrastructure firm ProRail announced on Friday. The rate in which trains faced delays was considerably higher than in previous years, also when compared to the years before the coronavirus crisis. On the route along the high-speed line, passengers were delayed on one in four train journeys.
NS director Wouter Koolmees and ProRail CEO John Voppen encountered a great deal of criticism during a hearing in the Tweede Kamer on Tuesday. In particular, parliamentarians brought up the manner of communication with passengers, and the lack of alternative bus transport during the major train disruption in Amsterdam on June 4 and 5.
The failure of a very specific piece of hardware caused the stoppage of all trains running to and from Amsterdam on Sunday. Now that the fault has been identified, the process of returning the situation to normal will result in the cancellation of all train traffic around Amsterdam starting at 11:59 p.m. on Friday night into the morning hours on Saturday.