Power restored, but train chaos persists in Rotterdam tunnel

Train service south of Rotterdam remained severely disrupted Sunday, even after power was restored in the Willemsspoortunnel. ProRail said trains were still not running between Rotterdam and Rotterdam Zuid because critical tunnel systems, including emergency exits, lighting, and fire and gas detection, must be extensively tested before service can safely resume.

The outage began Saturday when a failure at the electricity supplier cut power to the tunnel, blocking domestic and international rail traffic for two days. Although power returned, a sudden voltage spike likely damaged safety systems, which must be fully operational before trains can pass through again, a ProRail spokesperson said.

Dutch Railways, or NS, warned travelers to expect major delays or to postpone their trips. “There are no high-speed trains running between Rotterdam and Breda,” an NS spokesperson said earlier Sunday. “There are also no trains operating between Rotterdam and Dordrecht.”

International services have also been heavily affected. The Eurostar from London is terminating in Brussels instead of continuing to Rotterdam, and passengers must transfer to other trains to complete their journeys.

ProRail said it expects testing to be completed and service to gradually resume around 4 p.m. local time, but cautioned that the timeline remains uncertain.