If you’re travelling south of Rotterdam by train this week, trains will likely be delayed until Saturday, July 4, at the earliest.
In a news bulletin, Dutch rail manager ProRail confirmed that the repair timeline for the track near Rotterdam will take longer than expected. The cause of the original fire still hasn’t been identified.
What does this mean for your commute?
Sadly, the update means that commuters travelling on southbound trains will have to endure rail chaos for a little while longer.
No trains are running between Rotterdam and Barendrecht, Rotterdam and Breda, or towards the Kijfhoek freight yard, including international and high-speed trains.
According to NS, the disruption specifically affects the stretch between Rotterdam Centraal and Zwijndrecht on the Hague–Rotterdam–Dordrecht route.
Beyond Zwijndrecht, the line towards Dordrecht is running as normal.
Both ProRail and NS are urging travellers to check a travel planner for their route before heading out, as the repair timeline could still shift.
Alternative routes and travel options are available
Thankfully, NS has set up a bus route to cover the affected stretch.
Buses run between Rotterdam Centraal, Rotterdam Blaak, Rotterdam Zuid, Rotterdam Lombardijen, Barendrecht, and Zwijndrecht, following roughly the same stations the trains would normally stop at.
If you’re heading further south towards Dordrecht or Breda, you can take the bus as far as Zwijndrecht, then pick up a regular train from there. However, you’ll need to factor in the extra travel time and expect possible delays, especially during busier periods.
What if I’m booked on an international train?
If you’re travelling on Eurostar towards Belgium or France, your train has been rerouted.
It now runs between Amsterdam Centraal and Antwerpen Centraal, skipping Schiphol Airport and Rotterdam Centraal, with an added stop at Utrecht Centraal instead, according to NS International.
But good news: if your original ticket departed from Schiphol or Rotterdam Centraal, you can still use it on a regular NS train to reach Amsterdam Centraal or Utrecht Centraal and board your booked Eurostar from there. No need to buy another ticket!
However, if you’re taking the Eurostar to London, your journey will now start in Brussels-South/Midi. If this doesn’t work for you, you can cancel your ticket free of charge, or exchange it for a ticket on another Eurostar train.
If you’re on a Eurocity Direct or EuroCity service, these currently run between Breda and Brussels-Zuid/Midi. Since there’s no direct route between Rotterdam Centraal and Breda, you’ll need to travel via Utrecht Centraal.
Why are delays taking so long?
Two things are behind the extra delay, according to ProRail. Sorting and repairing the damaged cables is slow, careful work, and several specialist contractors need access to the site at the same time.
On top of that, the tracks have started rusting from disuse and need treating before trains can run on them safely. How long it takes depends on how much longer the line stays shut, which is partly why the forecast keeps moving.
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