NS pulls 18 high-speed trains

National railway company NS has announced that it is pulling the high-speed service between Amsterdam, Schiphol, Rotterdam and Breda, over technical problems with the locomotives of Intercity Direct.

In total NS is taking 18 trains offline; a company spokesperson said there have been reports of problems with the 'power consumer points', electrical installations mounted on top of the trains. It concerns Traxx locomotives from Canadian manufacturer Bombardier. The company will reportedly now inspect the vehicles for possible shortcomings. NS will not replace the halted trains with temporary ones and it is not clear when the situation will return to normal. Travelers are advised to make use of the regular trains. NS said the high-speed Benelux train servide to Antwerp and Brussels has not been affected.