Fewer flight cancellations at Schiphol, but trains and roads hit by snow and ice
Winter weather continued to affect travel across the Netherlands on Sunday, though disruptions were far fewer than earlier in the week. At Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, only four incoming flights were canceled and four delayed, compared with hundreds canceled daily earlier in the week. In total, 45 incoming flights were delayed and five canceled. Eindhoven Airport reported no canceled flights on Sunday, either incoming or outgoing, continuing a trend of smoother operations.
On Sunday, snow is expected first in the northern, central, and eastern provinces before gradually changing to rain as temperatures rise, according to Weeronline. Inland areas may receive up to one centimeter of snow, and icy conditions are expected to persist overnight in the northeast, as well as in Gelderland, Overijssel, and Flevoland. Rijkswaterstaat reported spreading 218,158 kilograms of salt on roads today.
Rail travel is also affected, with the Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) operating on a winter timetable for Sunday, which reduces the number of trains, may require additional transfers, lengthens travel times, and results in more crowded trains. Service between Maastricht and Liège/Luik is suspended due to equipment limitations until Monday evening. A switch malfunction disrupted travel between Utrecht and Leiden until mid-morning, while a defective train caused delays on the Almelo–Hengelo line until around 9:45 a.m.
Passengers on routes such as Groningen to Leer, Arnhem to Duisburg and Düsseldorf, and Heerlen to Aachen Hbf are facing extended maintenance schedules. Replacement buses run hourly between Heerlen and Aachen.
On the Amsterdam–Enkhuizen route, travelers are advised to detour via Alkmaar until January 19. Between Hoofddorp, Schiphol, Lelystad, and Hilversum, extra travel time of up to 15 minutes should be expected, and similar delays apply to Amsterdam–Schiphol–Hoofddorp connections.
EuroCity trains between Lelystad Centrum, Rotterdam, and Brussels are partially suspended, with direct service only to Antwerp Centraal and no stops between Brussels North and South or in Mechelen. Nightjet 403 between Amsterdam, Köln, and Zürich HB has been rerouted, skipping Eindhoven but stopping at Arnhem C and Emmerich. Travelers are advised to plan ahead, allow extra time for trips, and check updated schedules.
