Zeeland schools sue ProRail over train not running for four months
Schools in Zeeland are taking the Dutch state to court over a planned four-month suspension of train service in 2029 between Vlissingen and Goes, arguing the measure would severely disrupt education and daily travel for thousands of students, NOS and Omroep Zeeland report.
The case, filed by the Stichting Scholierenvervoer Zeeland (SSZ), will be heard on Tuesday, 14 April, at 9:30 a.m. in The Hague. The schools are seeking to stop a ProRail test of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS), a new European rail safety and control standard intended to improve speed, safety, and international rail connections.
ProRail plans to run the large-scale test on the Zeeland rail line, which would require trains to stop running for four months. The line was selected after earlier consideration of the Hanzelijn between Lelystad and Zwolle. The decision was made in late 2024 by then State Secretary Jansen, who said the Zeeland route would have a relatively limited impact due to lower passenger numbers.
The schools reject that assessment. Based on their own research, they say about 3,000 passengers use the Vlissingen–Roosendaal route each day, and roughly 80 percent are students traveling to and from school. They argue such a figure makes the shutdown particularly disruptive in Zeeland.
School representatives say many students cannot realistically switch to cycling or scooter travel due to distance and weather conditions. They also argue that bus replacements would be inadequate, citing longer travel times, poor connections, and the impracticality of transporting large numbers of students reliably during exam periods.
Students interviewed from schools in Goes also expressed concern. One said cycling would only be possible in good weather, another pointed to long, infrequent bus connections, and a third said she had no clear alternative route to get to school if trains stopped running.
The state has proposed mitigation measures, including replacement bus services, extra travel information, and a dedicated student shuttle along the rail corridor. However, the schools say these measures would not prevent serious and prolonged disruption to education.
The schools’ lawyer argues that while other rail projects in the Netherlands may affect more passengers overall, those regions often have stronger alternative transport options. In Zeeland, he says, the lack of viable alternatives makes the impact disproportionately severe.
