Train traffic to and from Germany disrupted

The main reason for the problems is the work being carried out between Mehrhoog and Empel Rees, which lies between Arnhem and Oberhausen, a very important section of the route for Dutch cargo trains. Due to this work, only limited train traffic is allowed to cross the border at Emmerich, and many trains are now being rerouted via Venlo. As a result, the Brabant route and the Venlo border crossing are being used to their full capacity, which leaves little or no room for accommodating delays.

Railion Nederland gave its customers advance warning of this situation, but during the past week the situation has worsened, exacerbated by a combination of circumstances on the European railway network. Several countries are using the summer period for extensive work on their infrastructure, especially Germany, where much work was (temporarily) suspended during the World Cup.

In addition, the extreme summer heat has caused innumerable verge fires along the tracks, and violent thunderstorms and lighting strikes have caused damage to safety systems. Recently, water on the sections of track between Venlo and Münchengladbach has made it necessary to introduce speed restrictions. All this has led to a deterioration in the quality of the train service, with delays being inevitable.