Rough rush hour: commuters told don't visit Schiphol, Amsterdam or Utrecht by train

By Janene Pieters on January 17, 2017 - 07:51
Passengers cram on a bus from Amsterdam Central to Sloterdijk, Amsterdam power outage 17 Jan 2017
Passengers cram on a bus from Amsterdam Central to Sloterdijk, Amsterdam power outage 17 Jan 2017. (Photo: Zachary Newmark / NL Times)

Update 8:40 a.m.: Power has been restored in all of Amsterdam, though some 27 thousand homes in Zaandam are still without electricity. Train traffic is still a mess. NS advises travelers to postpone traveling to Amsterdam, Utrecht or Schiphol by train. The rail company also warns that the NS app may be providing incorrect information. Buses in Amsterdam are back on track and the subways are being restarted, according to GVB. Trams in the Dutch capital are still offline. 

A very busy morning rush hour is expected due to a combination of slick, icy roads and a continuing power outage in Amsterdam and surrounds. Utilities company Liander expects to have power restored completely around 8:00 a.m. 

Due to the power outage, the matrix boards around the Dutch capital are not working. "We can't put any information above the road", a spokesperson for the Dutch public works Rijkswaterstaat said to RTL. Street lights are also not working. Motorists should extra travel time into account

The KNMI issued a code yellow weather warning affecting the entire country this morning. The wintry weather can cause slickness on the roads, according to the meteorological institute. Motorists are advised to adjust their driving behavior, slow down and keep a safe following distance. "Follow weather reports and warnings", the KNMI writes.

The power outage also caused havoc with the train traffic. No trains are currently traveling to and from Amsterdam Centraal. According to NOS, the station's power has been restored, but it will take some time for train traffic to be resumed. The disruption will also have consequences for train traffic in the rest of the country, NS warns. In Almere, for example, no trains are traveling due to the outage causing signaling problems. 

Subway and tram traffic was also brought to a standstill, according to municipal transporter GVB. "Keep an eye on our and NS' website for the actual state of affairs", GVB advises travelers.

Buses are running, but in dribs and drabs. According to RTL, some bus drivers overslept because their alarms could not go off. 

Some 360 thousand Liander customers in Amsterdam and surrounds were affected by the power outage. Meanwhile power was restored to about 253 thousand people, according to Liander on Twitter. 

Tags: