Railworks to cause more train traffic disruptions this year: ProRail

Railworks will cause even more disruptions to train traffic this year, ProRail warned on Monday. The rail manager will be doing more maintenance and other work on the tracks during office and school hours instead of working mostly at night and during holidays.

“Even though we know that more travelers will experience inconvenience from this, we do it consciously,” the rail manager said. It needs to do more work during the week to avoid too much piling up during weekends and holidays. Working during regular office times also makes ProRail a more attractive employer.

ProRail is struggling with a significant shortage of technicians, especially electricians, CEO John Voppen explained to Financieele Dagblad. “They are now very popular in the energy sector due to the energy transition,” he said. “You see that young technicians, in particular, want to lead a normal life as soon as they have a family, without night work. Then the energy sector offers attractive conditions.”

This year, over 9,000 people will work on roughly 400 larger and smaller rail projects and maintenance. That is more work than ever, Voppen said. “Our track often dates from just after the Second World War and has a lifespan of about 40 years. Now, we are 80 years later, and a second round of major maintenance is necessary in many places. At the same time, we want to expand the rail network for more and better train traffic.”

ProRail plans to combine maintenance and expansion workflows as much as possible. “Because this will ensure less disruption.” It’s also more cost-efficient, Voppen said. But, travelers will notice the work more throughout the year instead of the inconvenience being limited to certain periods. This summer, ProRail plans to work around Leeuwarden during the day and outside the holidays.

The rail manager budgeted 1.7 billion euros for track maintenance and renewal this year, up from 1.5 billion euros last year. Between 2025 and 2030, ProRail budgeted 1.8 billion euros per year for maintenance and renewal.