Massive train traffic issues around Schiphol today due to unplanned railworks

NS expects significant inconvenience to travelers on the railway near Schiphol from early Friday morning due to unforeseen additional work on the track, the carrier reports. “The entire impact is still being worked out. It will differ hourly as to what does and does not run. Sometimes someone will have to take a detour, sometimes make an extra transfer,” a spokesperson explained.

ProRail must remove rust from train tracks on Friday where no trains have run for a long time as a result of planned work. The timetable must, therefore, be adjusted. It will last from 5:20 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. and affect various routes around Schiphol.

NS is currently updating its travel planner accordingly. “The advice to travelers is to check the travel app. We hope to be able to use buses. We have not yet fully understood the impact of this additional work. We are still working on it.”

Planned railworks at Schiphol have been happening since March 4. The rust removal came as a surprise to NS. “When carrying out work, you can normally see the consequences in advance. But this is suddenly very last minute.”

ProRail has renovated the track around Schiphol and replaced a number of switches in the rail tunnel, among other things. “If no trains have run on a track for a while, normal trains cannot immediately run on it. First, the tracks must be driven on to remove rust from the rails. This way, we guarantee that the level crossings and signals work as they should again,” the rail manager said.