Since NS has to make several logistical adjustments to deploying trains and staff because they are stranded in many places, the carrier expects that trains will not continue moving according to plan for the rest of Thursday. The itinerary also won’t be fully up-to-date due to several “last minute adjustments,” according to NS.
No transportation alternative
A spokeswoman for the trains reported that train use increased “slowly” during the evening. “The trains are running again on all the roads,” she said around 10 p.m. “We expect all travelers to be able to go home.”
The railway company does not intend to use an alternative mode of transportation. “No, we don’t, and that’s because there’s really no way to start,” an NS spokeswoman says. “There can be about a thousand people on a train and maybe 50 on a bus, so that’s just not possible.”
NS and rail director ProRail advise people to postpone their trip as much as possible.
previous failure
At the end of May, a malfunction in the Mobirail provider’s phone system halted communication between drivers and train traffic monitors. According to ProRail, this connection was necessary to operate the trains. That is why train traffic has been closed in a large part of the country.
It is unclear if the cause of the problem also lies with the provider this time. “It doesn’t appear to be the case, but we are currently investigating it,” a spokesperson for ProRail Rail Manager said.
