Gremlins renew attack on train service

17 August 2005

AMSTERDAM — The shuttle train service between Amsterdam Sloterdijk and the capital’s Central Station was reduced from four to two trains an hour by noon on Wednesday.

Rail network manager ProRail said a lack of switching mechanisms necessitated the reduction of the shuttle service.

It began operating at 6.10am on Wednesday morning to compensate for the fact that a derailment at Central Station on Monday has reduced number of usable lines on the west side of the station to 2.

Thousands of people are travelling to Amsterdam Central Station and to Sloterdijk to watch the “SAIL IN” of Tall Ships and other vessels for the start of the six-day SAIL maritime festival.

Separately broken overhead power lines between Naarden-Bussum and Weesp stations halted services between Amersfoort and Amsterdam on Wednesday morning, ProRail said. This disruption to people travelling from the centre of the country to Amsterdam.

ProRail has not given any information about the cause of the break but the problem was sorted out by 1.30pm.

Subject: Dutch news