Storm and lightning damage disrupt rail traffic across the Netherlands

Rail traffic across the Netherlands was severely disrupted Sunday morning after overnight storms left trees and branches on tracks nationwide. A lightning strike in Gouda also disabled signaling and switch systems. The combination of storm damage and technical failures led to cancellations, delays, and reduced service on multiple rail lines, ProRail said.

In the meantime, the Dutch meteorological institute KNMI ended its Code Orange weather warning just after 5:30 a.m. Sunday. A Code Yellow warning remains in effect for all provinces and the Wadden Sea region due to ongoing heat. KNMI expects the alert to persist on Monday, but only in the southeast.

Across the country, rail operators reported widespread track obstructions caused by storm damage. In the Utrecht region, service on the Utrecht–Rotterdam, Utrecht–Den Haag, and Alphen aan den Rijn–Gouda lines was fully suspended due to lightning damage. The disruptions are expected until at least noon Sunday. A separate switch malfunction affected the Utrecht–Rhenen and Utrecht–Nijmegen routes, but service resumed around 10:30 a.m.

On the Amsterdam–Haarlem–Den Haag line, Intercity service remains reduced under an adjusted schedule expected to last until about 11:45 p.m. Sunday.

International service on the Arnhem–Duisburg–Düsseldorf route is operating under restrictions until at least midnight Monday, with no local trains running.

In the north, Groningen Europapark–Leeuwarden service was suspended due to a power failure until at least 11:15 a.m. The Zwolle–Groningen line faced signaling and level crossing failures, reducing service until about 11:00 a.m.