All morning trains scrapped on busy Utrecht route as overhead lines fail

All trains scheduled to run along an important stretch of track near Utrecht were expected to be canceled on Tuesday morning due to defective overhead lines. The issue will directly impact all passenger routes between Utrecht Central Station and Amersfoort, which is a critical section of track for routes to the north and east of the country.

The issue developed near Bilthoven, according to the national railway NS. It means trains will not be able to run between Utrecht and Zwolle, which is necessary for those traveling to and from both Groningen and Leeuwarden with as few stops as possible.

Additionally, the trains servicing eastern municipalities like Enschede, Almelo, and Apeldoorn will be affected. The local service between Baarn and Utrecht via Bilthoven will also face cancellations.

Utrecht Central Station is the busiest train station in the country, serving between 225,000 and 275,000 per day on average. The problem was expected to cause crowds along detour routes, especially during the morning rush hour period.

Three NS trains were left stranded due to the defective overhead lines, ProRail said on social media. One train was evacuated, and the other two were able to return to Utrecht Central Station.

ProRail said it was trying to diagnose the cause of the problem, and said the issue will impact train schedules at least until noon. Passengers should use travel planners before going to the stations to check for updates and schedule changes, the infrastructure firm said.