Thalys has announced a significantly reduced timetable for the coming days, cutting various services between Amsterdam, Paris and Brussels from Wednesday, July 27 until at least Friday, August 5. 

Thalys running fewer trains between Amsterdam and Paris

On their website, the rail operator outlines a number of cancellations to their services as a result of “technical issues due to the recent high temperatures.” A spokesperson for the company informed Het Parool that fewer trains will be running “in the coming period,” but was unable to predict precisely how many routes would be affected and how long the disruptions would last. 

Thalys typically runs a number of services between Amsterdam, Schiphol Airport and Rotterdam with Brussels and Paris on a daily basis. The recent changes mean that starting from July 27, various trains between the Netherlands and the Belgian and French capitals have been cut. 

European heatwave causes technical difficulties for Thalys

The news comes in the middle of the summer holidays, likely as many had hoped to turn to train travel as a way to avoid the chaos at Schiphol. The changes to Thalys’ timetable are set to affect hundreds of holidaymakers, and the rail company has said anyone affected is eligible to rebook their trip free of charge or request a full refund.

Thalys’ decision comes after the rail company made headlines during last week’s heatwave, when two trains arriving from Paris suffered serious delays as a result of technical problems. In one case, travellers were left stranded without aircon for four hours.