Fallen leaves cause train delays on busy Netherlands routes

Slick railway tracks caused by fallen leaves and rain resulted in fewer trains traveling on the busy routes between Nijmegen and Schiphol and between Den Haag Central and Utrecht Central, NS warns. Delays can be up to 15 minutes per journey.

Trains with damaged wheels can not travel on slick tracks, according to Het Parool. Damaged wheels skid on slick tracks when a train tries to brake and can lead to significant damage.

Due to the slick tracks, trians are only leaving every 30 minutes on the above mentioned routes, instead of every 15 minutes. This can cause delasy of about 15 minutes per ride. Passengers also may have to change trains more frequently.

NS hopes that the delays will be over by 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday. It is unclear whether the combination of rain and leaves will cause more delays in the rest of the season.