The train service to and from the Northern Netherlands was disrupted at least until the end of the afternoon by an attempted copper theft. This is what rail manager ProRail reports. According to NS travel information, there will be no trains running between ‘t Harde and Zwolle and between Zwolle and Lelystad until at least 3 p.m. this afternoon.
This has consequences for travelers who want to travel from Drenthe to the west of the country, and vice versa. Zwolle is an important hub for train traffic to the north of the country. According to a spokesperson for ProRail, it costs people to travel to or from the Northern Netherlands ‘a lot of extra time’. He also speaks of a ‘quite complex situation’.
The attempted copper theft took place last night on the railway in Zwolle. A man has been arrested, according to ProRail. “Although nothing has been removed, the damage is significant,” the railway manager said.
In addition, there is also a section disruption on the only detour route that exists to and from the Northern Netherlands. This is what the railway manager reports. Due to this disruption between Amersfoort and Barneveld, fewer trains are running on that route.
ProRail advises to take extra travel time and busy trains into account and to postpone the train journey if possible. A spokesperson for the NS says that express buses run between ‘t Harde and Zwolle and Lelystad and Zwolle. She also advises travelers to consult the travel planner before they set out.
The copper price rose to a new record level today. This is due to the fear of a supply shortage. The price increase also makes copper more attractive to thieves, who, for example, strike on the railway or at churches. Major charging station providers in Germany recently indicated that they are seeing more cable thefts at electric car charging stations, mainly to get their hands on copper.