Dutch railway operator NS finds it unacceptable that manager Infraspeed has to impose a speed reduction on the high-speed line (HSL) again.
The railway line, designed for a top speed of 300 kilometres per hour, has lower maximum speeds of only 120 kilometres per hour in several places. From July 10, the speed was further reduced to 80 kilometres per hour in five locations due to cracks in the construction that were discovered in 2022. The new situation leads to more delays for travellers and missed transfers. NS is currently investigating with ProRail whether the timetable should be adjusted accordingly.
NS sees the speed reduction as a major setback. Instead of faster, travel times are getting longer. These problems have been known for some time, but there is still no prospect of a quick solution.
NS wants to discuss the problems with the manager Infraspeed. If these are not resolved, the future ambitions to drive more often and faster may be jeopardized.
In addition to the domestic trains of NS, NS International, Eurostar and the NMBS also use this high-speed line. The HSL has become indispensable in the Dutch rail network. In addition to the tens of thousands of domestic passengers who use this line every day, the number of international passengers is also growing considerably.
Although trains are supposed to run at 300 kilometers per hour on the high-speed line, during its construction, the viaducts were designed too light, making them too unstable to drive over at high speed.
ProRail said it regrets the situation, especially because the speed limit will likely mean that train trips take two to three minutes longer. “We may be forced to run fewer trains to ensure that the timetable remains stable,” the rail manager said.
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