Dutch rail operator ProRail has warned that travellers in the Netherlands should expect disruptions to train services throughout 2025 as various construction projects will take place during the day, on weekends and outside of holiday periods. 

Unavoidable disruptions due to Dutch railway construction work

More than 400 construction projects are planned for the Dutch railway network this year and with challenges such as worker shortages and low availability of materials, the rail infrastructure manager has no choice but to work whenever possible.

According to ProRail, contractors will be working day and night which is very likely to cause inconvenience for travellers, residents and public transport companies. “The impact will sometimes be great, but the jobs that are done are essential,” wrote ProRail in a press release. “That is why we are focusing on better predictability by announcing outages earlier, so that travellers and carriers can count on this.” 

Trains in Noord-Holland and Zuid-Holland to see several delays

People who travel by train through Noord-Holland and Zuid-Holland will see a lot of delays this year. Based on the planned major disruptions that ProRail has released, Amsterdam will especially be impacted by work taking place on 13 separate occasions throughout 2025. 

There is also a long-term construction project planned for Groningen which will affect train traffic around the city. Travellers should make sure to check the travel planner before a train journey for updates on any train delays. “Carriers will announce concrete and detailed travel advice 10 days in advance,” wrote ProRail.

Due to large-scale work being done in Germany - Deutsche Bahn is carrying out 80 weeks of construction work on the Oberhausen-Emmerich line - rail passengers can also expect delays on long-distance trains travelling between Cologne and the Netherlands. 

This line closure will also impact the rail work being done in the Netherlands as freight trains on Dutch railways will have to be diverted, which means ProRail will be unable to work on the tracks between Rotterdam and Venlo, and between Amsterdam and Oldenzaal while the German construction work is taking place. For this reason, intensive work will occur before and after this to make up for lost time, causing major disruptions on these routes.