Attempted copper theft halts train traffic to and from northern Netherlands
An attempted copper theft near Zwolle has seriously disrupted train traffic to and from the northern Netherlands. There’s also a disruption on the only alternative route. No trains are running between ‘t Harde and Zwolle and between Zwolle and Lelystad until at least 3:00 p.m. on Monday, NS reported.
The attempted copper theft happened on Sunday evening. According to the rail manager, the thieves did not manage to steal any copper, but did “considerable” damage. “The repairs of the attempted copper theft near Zwolle will take at least until mid-afternoon,” ProRail said on Monday morning.
“In addition, we are experiencing a section disruption on the only detour to and from the Northern Netherlands. This disruption is between Amersfoort and Barnesveld. As a result, fewer trains are running on this route as well.”
NS called this disruption a switch failure. The rail company hopes that it will be fixed by around 9:00 a.m., but warned that it will take time to get the schedule back on track.
The Dutch rail company deployed “very limited” buses between 't Harde and Zwolle and between Kampen Zuid and Zwolle. Zwolle is a major hub for trains to the northern provinces. Travelers are urged to use alternative transport or expect heavy delays.
