This morning it was a mix of Drenths, Groningers and Frisians at the train station in Meppel. Hundreds of travelers were stranded there because of a power outage. After almost four hours the first trains were running again.
Sam Blankenstein was waiting at the station for over an hour. She had to play basketball with the Dutch basketball team in Barneveld. She comes from Groningen, but is stranded in Meppel. “Hope I’m still on time,” she says. “If all goes well, my coach will pick me up.”
Three Frisian friends are on their way to a bachelor party in Utrecht. They come from Twijzelerheide and are waiting for a taxi to take them to Zwolle, after which they can continue by train. “We bought sandwiches and beer at the supermarket. Meppel station is on!”
Travelers are particularly angry about the NS not using buses. “I immediately tried to arrange something,” says Ina from Franeker. She is on her way to Amsterdam. “You don’t know each other, but you start talking to people and someone managed to arrange a taxi van.”
Cor van der Klauw from Groningen was on his way to Gouda. “Our daughter-in-law is holding an exhibition of ceramics there and I find it very annoying that there are no buses. It is so often hit at this junction.” He thinks that buses should always be ready in Meppel. “Now we’re missing lunch with our daughter-in-law.”
Mrs Van der Scheer from Westerbork left home extra early for a funeral in Lelystad. “It’s pretty useless that there are no buses waiting. It’s always hit the spot the last few times, or there’s a malfunction on the track or something wrong with the train.”
At 12:30 p.m. all trains between Meppel and Zwolle were running again.