ProRail boss warns that train disruptions will continue for years 

Train passengers will continue to experience inconvenience due to track work for years to come, ProRail CEO John Voppen. Projects are taking longer because the government railway management company wants trains to continue to run during the construction. In addition, ProRail is also struggling with a shortage when it comes to technical staff, he said on the radio show Sven op 1.

The ProRail boss is pleased when reflecting on the past year. "There was some inconvenience for passengers, but it went better than last year. Then we ran too many trains during the work."

ProRail is facing a major shortage of mechanics at vocational education (MBO) level. The company is already working with energy companies to train their own mechanics. “But we will also have to improve productivity by investing in digitalization and robotization.”

Speeds of 120 kilometers per hour can be reached again this month by trains on the high-speed lines (HSL). Previously, the maximum speed limit on these lines was 80 kilometers per hour.

Voppen said that it will take many more years until trains can go 300 kilometers an hour on these lines. "Something has gone fundamentally wrong with the HSL. The bridges and viaducts are not designed for high speeds. We want to change that, but it is very complicated."

This comes two days before the national railway company NS is starting a significant expansion of the number of trains that will be running. More trains will be running during rush hours, evenings, and weekends from Sunday, December 15.

The NS called it the “biggest timetable change in years.” The changes will result in more trains running than 2019, which was the last year before the coronavirus pandemic and considered a very successful year for the company.