Dutch railway traffic is completely disrupted due to malfunction abroad

The holidays were reported around 2:20 PM. Trains with passengers already on the way did not stop suddenly due to an interruption. It appeared that “all the trains continue to run to the platform.”

According to a spokesperson for Dutch railway company ProRail, due to a national failure in the telephone system, train traffic controllers were unable to communicate with train drivers of the transport companies. “This is necessary to operate the trains, so we decided to close a large part of the country,” said the rail operator.

The cause of the malfunction appears to be found in the meantime, but it is uncertain if the solution is stable enough. As a result, the defect may return, according to a ProRail spokesperson. The rail operator advises travelers to check the carriers’ app to see if their journey is continuing. “Like the NS itinerary or the regional carriers’ app. They have the most recent information.”

Carriers NS and Arriva also indicate that train traffic will be restarted step-by-step from 4 PM. “Our goal is to have one train per hour on each road,” says a NS spokesperson. “There is still an inconvenience for travelers throughout the evening.”

A ProRail spokesperson expects passengers to be affected by the disruption for the rest of the day. “It will take a long time before it all starts, and that’s a big mystery, so travelers will be bothered by the power outages for some time.”

International train traffic was also affected by the disruption. For a while, trains from our country only ran to Noorderkempen station near Brecht. There, passengers can switch to an alternate bus. Thales ran between Paris and Amsterdam also up to Antwerp and Nordkimbin.