Rotterdam–South Train Services Put Off Again as ProRail Targets Tuesday Restart

Overview

• A fire in a cable duct near Rotterdam destroyed about 200 signal and power cables, causing a major failure of rail infrastructure on the corridor to Dordrecht, Breda, Zeeland and North Brabant.
• Repair teams have worked day and night to replace and reconnect damaged cables but ProRail now says the work is more complex than first thought and requires each connection to be individually tested before reopening.
• The planned resumption of regular services has been postponed repeatedly and this is the fifth delay; ProRail currently expects trains may only restart on Tuesday but cautions the date could shift if safety checks are incomplete.
• NS is running replacement buses on affected routes and is advising passengers to plan journeys shortly before departure because travel times and departure schedules remain uncertain.
• The disruption affects a key regional link for commuters and intercity services and could cause extended knock-on delays and timetable changes until ProRail completes its exhaustive safety verification.