400 passengers evacuated after fire alarm on train near Rotterdam
Around 400 passengers had to be evacuated after a fire alarm on an intercity train on the high-speed line between Rotterdam and Breda on Thursday evening. The passengers arrived in Breda via alternative transport around three hours after the alarm went off, Rijnmond reported.
The train driver pulled the fire alarm at 6:30 p.m. after noticing smoke in the locomotive. The fire brigade responded, but found no fire, according to ProRail.
As a precaution, it was decided not to proceed with the train full of people. The 400 passengers were evacuated, and NS arranged replacement bus transportation for them. At 9:30 p.m., all passengers had been transported to Breda, from where they could continue their journey.
The still-standing train near the village of Mookhoek hampered train traffic between Rotterdam and the south of the country for much of the evening. The schedule only returned to normal around 10:15 p.m.
Fewer trains were running on the high-speed line between Rotterdam, Breda, and Brussels, as well as between Rotterdam and Schiphol Airport. Train traffic on the regular track was also impacted, with fewer Sprinters running to and from Dordrecht.
