Rail authority warns of mounting maintenance backlog amid staff, budget shortages

ProRail will only be able to carry out strictly necessary maintenance on more and more sections of the rail network in the coming years. Projects intended to modernize and future-proof the network will be crowded out. The rail authority says the root of the problem lies in limited financial resources and too few staff.

ProRail cautions that, over time, this strategy will drive up expenses. The operator cites Germany as a telling example, noting how deferred maintenance there has resulted in widespread breakdowns, significant delays, and steep financial repercussions.

In the coming year, the operator plans to undertake over 400 major maintenance works, a figure comparable to this year, at an estimated expense of about 1.8 billion euros. It has also cautioned for several years that passengers should anticipate increased inconvenience until 2030 because so much of the railway infrastructure needs attention.

The rail operator is financed by the government for its maintenance work, yet it says the current level of support falls short of what it needs to achieve its goals. Even so, ProRail can still comply with the minimum standards set out in the Basic Rail Quality Framework.

“The Dutch government currently spends 1.2 percent of its GDP on infrastructure such as railways, roads, and waterways. That is not enough to handle the expected growth in mobility. For that reason, the rail operator, together with Rijkswaterstaat and the Logistics Alliance, is calling for an increase to at least 2 percent. This should prevent the Netherlands from ending up in the same situation as Germany,” ProRail says.

In places like Haarlem, expansion and renewal projects have been put on hold for the time being. “That may look like a saving, but in reality it’s just a postponement,” says ProRail chief executive John Voppen. “We’ll have to come back later to do the work anyway, and that makes it more expensive, causes more disruption, and requires additional skilled workers who are already scarce on the job market.”

By this point in 2025, the rail network has already suffered more major failures than the annual limit permits. ProRail reports that about one in four disruptions is linked to suicide. It is urging new investments in prevention, including more smart surveillance cameras and an annual 2 million euros for interventions at vulnerable spots along the tracks.

A striking project planned for next year is the nine-month renovation of the Gouwe rail bridge in Alphen aan den Rijn. From October onward, NS will replace train service with buses on the Alphen–Bodegraven route. The work will also disrupt trips between Leiden and Utrecht, forcing passengers to divert, for instance, by traveling through Schiphol.

According to ProRail, the repairs to the Schiphol–Rotterdam high-speed line should not run into financial trouble. Voppen emphasized in a media briefing in Haarlem that the HSL is too critical to delay: money will be allocated for the project, though it will inevitably mean cutting back in other areas.

Sections of the HSL are temporarily limited to speeds of 120 kilometers per hour, far below the intended 200–300 kilometers per hour, because of construction flaws in multiple viaducts. While repair work is underway, it is expected to continue for years. ProRail estimates that an extra 580 million euros will be required to complete the restoration.

Voppen warned that avoiding investment in infrastructure might look attractive in the short term, since the effects are manageable within a single government term. “But it’s a debt we’re placing on the future. I don’t mind if funds are lacking, but in that case, we should not make misleading promises about the rail system,” he said.

ProRail faces a potential funding gap for projects between Leiden and Dordrecht, which could force a tough decision between track expansion and station upgrades, including Leiden Centraal. The operator hopes that its warning on Thursday will avert this outcome.

NS has expressed worry over the condition and long-term prospects of the rail network. Director Wouter Koolmees commented on the report that ProRail can only perform necessary maintenance, limiting its ability to ensure the network is prepared for the future. The situation stems from a shortage of both personnel and financial resources.

Due to the shortages, Koolmees says it is “increasingly difficult for NS to implement improvements for passengers” and to meet the “agreed ambitions for the future.”

Koolmees argues that ProRail needs greater capacity to maintain the railway properly. “We are approaching the bottom line. This has been a warning we’ve raised for years.”