Summer rail work to delay many

Construction on the railways this summer will surely cause delays for train travelers, but the Dutch Railways, ProRail, and travelers organizations joined forces to minimize the discomfort, stated Minister Melanie Schultz during the question round in Parliament earlier today. The concerns are mainly around Utrecht Central, Schiphol, and Den Bosch.

The stations will not be completely closed, according to Schultz, in a response to a question from the SP about reports that the railroad's timetable will be severely disrupted because Utrecht Central and several other stations will be closed for days in a row during the summer. The aim is to work outside of the regular timetable as much as possible. For bigger projects some tracks may be closed for several days in a row during the summer vacation, which will cause less disruptions over the course of the year. Utrecht Central is one of the stations that will undergo considerable construction. ProRail expects the number of travelers to increase from 280,000 now to 360,000 travelers daily. The construction is planned for 2015 and 2016, according to the Minister. The tracks around Schiphol and Den Bosch will be renewed. Tracks may be closed during construction for safety purposes. The timetable will need to be adjusted, and in some instances travelers will be transported by buses, which will cause delays.