Major train disruption hits Dutch cities after fire in Woerden; 1,300 stuck in NS cars
Dutch national railway NS was hit by the second major disruption to passenger train services this week after a fire in Woerden forced the stoppage of services on key routes between the four largest cities in the Netherlands. Around 1,300 passengers were stranded on three rush hour trains, the NS told ANP.
Woerden is situated in a key location on the railroad infrastructure in the Netherlands. All trains to and from the Utrecht provincial city will be offline until at least 2 a.m. on Saturday, the NS stated. That includes routes connecting the central station and Bijlmer ArenA stops in Amsterdam, as well as the central stations in Utrecht, Rotterdam, The Hague, and Leiden.
The fire broke out at a transformer station on Groen van Prinsterlaan on Friday afternoon. “Upon the fire department’s arrival, black smoke was seen billowing from the building,” the regional emergency services office said.
The location is situated directly alongside the railroad tracks between Woerden and Breudijk. The latter is the location of a junction point where the railroad diverts towards Breukelen, Abcoude and Amsterdam, or towards the city of Utrecht. The railroad heading west from Woerden splits off at the Zuid-Holland border, sections of track towards Alphen aan den Rijn and Leiden, to Zoetermeer and The Hague, or towards Alexander and Rotterdam. Both of the Zuid-Holland sections run via Gouda.
“We hope to be able to run very limited buses from 6:30 p.m., but availability remains limited. Please allow for significantly longer travel times,” the NS wrote in an update during rush hour. “Take alternative routes whenever possible.”
The trains where passengers have been forced to remain in place will be evacuated, said railroad manager ProRail. “At this moment, several trains are still stationary on the route. The trains are already beginning to be cleared of passengers.”
Both the regional emergency services office and ProRail said the cause of the fire is under investigation. “However, it is clear that many components in the substation have been severely damaged. Specialists are on site to assess the damage and carry out repair work, but this will take a considerable amount of time,” ProRail stated.
What is clear is that trains will not run on the Woerden routes for the remainder of Friday, and some overnight service will likely be affected. “We advise travelers to consult the NS travel planner before departure and to take cancellations and delays into account.”
