After a major IT glitch at ProRail brought train traffic in and around Amsterdam to a standstill over the weekend, services are being gradually resumed on Monday morning, with the first train having departed from Amsterdam Centraal at 9.05am.
On Sunday afternoon, hundreds of travellers were left stranded at stations across the Dutch capital after an IT blackout at a ProRail traffic control centre meant trains couldn’t reach Amsterdam Centraal and other key stations in the area, including Schiphol Airport. International services to Belgium and Germany were also affected.
While it initially appeared as though the issue had been resolved by 8pm on Sunday, June 4, as Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) reports, “this turned out not to be the case”. Those hoping to travel via public transport were therefore urged to adjust or cancel their travel plans or make other arrangements.
The disruption to train services did mean many were unable to get home on Sunday night. Around 150 people spent the night in sleeping bags at Amsterdam’s Ziggo Dome after attending concerts at the Johan Cruijff ArenA and AFAS Live.
By the early hours of Monday morning, ProRail had still been unable to resolve the issue, meaning NS once again advised travellers “not to come to Amsterdam and the surrounding area,” and to “arrange alternative transport or work from home where possible.”
Luckily, by 9am on June 5, emergency measures taken by ProRail to transfer operations to a secondary traffic control centre in Utrecht meant services in and out of the Dutch capital were able to resume - although the initial cause of the issue is still yet to be resolved.
At 9.05am, the first train departed from Amsterdam Centraal towards Vlissingen. While train traffic has gradually been resumed, NS warns that some services across the Netherlands will continue to be affected on Monday as a result of the issues at ProRail. Travellers have been advised to double-check the NS Travel Planner ahead of their journey for up-to-date travel information.
ProRail says it intends to investigate the cause of the technical malfunction, and NS has apologised to travellers who have been affected by the widescale issues. “NS and ProRail regret that we were unable to bring many travellers home last night and that they had to spend the night at the station,” the rail company said in a statement. “This is not what travellers should expect from us.”
On Monday, NS confirmed that passengers who had been affected by the severe disruption to services would be eligible to receive compensation, writing in a statement that the company would be "generous in reimbursing additional costs, such as taxis or any accommodation costs."
Thumb: Bogdan F. Barabasvia Shutterstock.com.