In 2022, train passengers were more affected than ever by disruptions and non-running trains. ProRail, the manager of the railway network, reports this on Wednesday. From the first Numbers last year shows that there were no less than 450 ‘major failures’ caused by, for example, collisions, malfunctions and weather conditions. In addition, staff shortages at carriers played a major role in the cancellation of train traffic.
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Most trains were canceled in August, especially at train stations in Amsterdam and Utrecht. Compared to 2021, connections to nodes, reliability on regional routes and overall train punctuality, among other things, have decreased. There were also two days in 2022 on which national train traffic was suspended and there were eighteen days on which more than ten percent of all journeys were cancelled. A few weeks ago, the NS already reported that fewer trains arrived on time in 2022 than the year before and that fewer train passengers had a seat during rush hour.
Public transport in the Netherlands has been under pressure for some time. Due to the corona crisis, among other things, carriers are facing a serious shortage of staff and the timetable has been considerably reduced. A few months ago, the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) concluded that public transport not a good alternative is for people without a car.