Fewer trains running around Utrecht and Amsterdam from February 20
By Simone Jacobs
Train travel around Utrecht and Amsterdam will be disrupted from February 20 until March 1, as ProRail carries out engineering work. Rail passengers should expect crowded trains, detours and longer travel times.
Railway work to disrupt train travel around Utrecht
ProRail just finished emergency repairs to broken switches on the Amsterdam-Utrecht route that caused disruptions over the weekend, and is now set to carry out planned work.
From 11pm on Friday, February 20 until Sunday, March 1, fewer trains will run around the central station in Utrecht. ProRail plans to make improvements to the tracks at Utrecht Centraal, widening platform three and relocating track five.
Anyone travelling between Utrecht and Amsterdam, Utrecht and Schiphol Airport, and Utrecht and Arnhem from February 20 to 27 can expect a reduced train service. Many trains will also leave from different platforms than usual.
On February 21 and 22, no trains will run between Ede-Wageningen and Arnhem. Replacement buses will be available. During this weekend, Sprinter trains will also not run between Utrecht Centraal and Utrecht Overvecht. Travellers are advised to detour via Bilthoven, while anyone heading to Hilversum from Utrecht should detour via Amersfoort.
Other disruptions around Utrecht include:
- February 23 to 26 - no Sprinter trains between Utrecht and Maarssen
- February 23 to 27 - local buses to replace Sprinters between Utrecht and Bunnik
Train disruptions expected around Amsterdam from February 24
Work will also be done in Amsterdam, from February 24 until March 1, NS announced. During this time, replacement buses will run between Amsterdam Sloterdijk and Haarlem as train traffic on the route is halted.
Passengers travelling between Haarlem and Amsterdam Centraal should detour via Uitgeest and those going between Leiden and Amsterdam should travel via Schiphol Airport. Travellers on the Haarlem-Utrecht route can detour via Leiden.
Train traffic around Amsterdam will see major disruptions from February 28 and March 1. No trains will run between Amsterdam Zuid and Schiphol Airport and between Zuid and RAI stations. Passengers can make use of the metros instead.
Due to the planned railway work, other routes throughout the Netherlands could also be affected. NS urges passengers to plan in advance and to use the NS travel planner to stay up to date on last-minute changes.
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Editor for the Netherlands at IamExpat Media. Simone studied Genetics and Zoology at the University of Pretoria in South Africa before moving to the Netherlands, where she has been working as a writer and editor since 2022. One thing she loves more than creating content is consuming it, mainly by reading books by the dozen. Other than being a book dragon, she is also a nature lover and enjoys hiking and animal training.Read more