Train users face tough autumn as track problems persist

Rail passengers face a “difficult” autumn due to a shortage of trains and speed restrictions on sections of track that require maintenance, National Railways chief Wouter Koolmees said on Tuesday.

“The fact is that our problems cannot be solved this way, and I don’t know when they will be solved,” Kurmis told the ANP news agency.

He said that while problems were growing across the network, the situation was particularly acute on high-speed rail lines.

Train speeds have now been reduced to 80 km/h on some sections because of unsafe viaducts. NS and rail operator ProRail said on Tuesday that the problems could last until 2026.

The state-owned railway company said earlier this month it planned to increase fares by 8.7% next year (taking inflation into account) and cut about 500 jobs.
The company, which is 100% state-owned and currently operating at a loss, said the moves were necessary to restore profitability.

This year, the government has stemmed the threat of price increases with a 120 million euro cash injection, but so far there has been no such additional aid for next year, meaning the 8.7 percent rise plus inflation will continue.