Railway Bridge Disruptions and Sweltering Heat Cause Train Delays and Cancellations in the Netherlands

The NS is currently experiencing disruptions due to the heat in various places in the country. Because two closed railway bridges could no longer be opened or closed, various delays and train cancellations occurred around the evening rush hour. In addition, after a call, the NOS received dozens of reports from travelers who had to travel in a train that was too hot.

The biggest problem arose in Haarlem, where the bridge over the Spaarne can no longer be closed. A contractor has been called in to fix the problem. Until then, no trains will run between Amsterdam and Haarlem.

Beach guests from Zandvoort who go home are affected by the outage. Trains run between Zandvoort and Haarlem. NS uses buses between Haarlem and Amsterdam.

The railway bridge over the Merwede Canal near Arkel between Gorinchem and Leerdam also broke down. Here too, the bridge no longer closes due to the heat. Around 5 pm the problem seemed to be solved, but the bridge is still not working and that seems to take until about 8.30 pm. Transported Qbuzz therefore uses buses instead of trains on the MerwedeLinge line.

ProRail always says to take precautions when it gets warmer than 25 degrees because of the risk of disruptions. Rails and bridges can expand if left in full sun for too long. Roadside fires can also occur along the track. For stranded trains, the railway manager keeps wagons with water on hand, among other things.

On a call from the NOS on Instagram in no time dozens of reactions were received from travelers about warm trains. “Someone fainted in a sweltering interspace, so first aid had to be given in all the bustle and heat! This was really due to the heat,” says a traveler.

“Yesterday I was on a train that was so hot that people were talking about smashing windows because there seemed to be so little oxygen. Very scary,” another commented. “I was just sitting in the sprinter from Diemen South to Duivendrecht, the air conditioning didn’t work there. It felt warmer than outside,” reports another traveler.

NS says in a response that it has not received a large number of reports about broken air conditioners. A spokesperson emphasizes that the systems in the train have to work extra hard in this weather and that it can be warmer in one compartment than in another due to crowds. “If an air conditioner does not work on the train, that train will be taken out of service and that did not happen today,” the spokesperson told NOS.