Nearly 60 flights cancelled at Schiphol; Some problems on railway & roads
Commuters were facing some problems on Friday morning in the wake of late-season snow showers and icy conditions. There were issues at Dutch airports, on the railways, and several serious accidents, including one fatal crash in Rotterdam.
Dozens of flights were canceled at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam on Friday. Airlines put a line through 35 departures and 24 arrivals at the country’s largest airport. Several other flights were facing delays of various duration. A handful of delays was also reported at the Eindhoven Airport and Rotterdam The Hague Airport.
By 8:30 a.m., the country’s national railway, NS, also reported a few issues. The frequency of trains was heavily reduced on the route connecting Breda and Den Bosch, due to problems with the track. The timetable for that route would remain adjusted until the early afternoon.
There was also trouble on the route between Utrecht Centraal, Gouda, and Den Haag Centraal due to a signal failure. The problem was expected to be resolved by 9:30 a.m. Fewer trains were running between the Den Haag Centraal and HS stations, Schiedam, and Rotterdam Centraal. Crews were working to fix a switch failure by 10:30 a.m.
Morning rush hour traffic in the Netherlands was not nearly as backed up as on Thursday, with only about 60 kilometers of traffic jams by 8:45 a.m. on Friday. Cars were backed up in both directions on the A4 between Amsterdam and The Hague and on the A28 between Amersfoort and Zwolle due to accidents. There were also some trouble spots on the A10 between Watergraafsmeer and Slotervaart.
The ANWB warned of localized smoothness caused by snow in the central, southern, and western parts of the country. “On Friday morning, traffic in the Randstad, and in the center of the country, in particular, will contend with snow-covered highways,” the travel organization said.
A handful of serious accidents kept emergency responders busy during the weather event. One person was killed and two others were hurt in an accident on Breeweg in Rotterdam-Zuid, according to Rijnmond. The accident caused the engine block to dislodge and separate from one of the involved vehicles on the Stadionviaduct.
A 76-year-old woman drove her car into a waterway in Veghel, Noord-Brabant, according to NOS. One photographer at the scene noted the poor visibility and speculated she could not see the edge of the quay. She escaped from the vehicle on her own and was not hospitalized.
The driver of a van near Hiddard, Friesland, was hospitalized after he slid off the road.
