Cable fire, repair failures keep Rotterdam–South line shut until at least 5 a.m. Tuesday

Train service between Rotterdam and the southern Netherlands will remain suspended through at least 5 a.m. Tuesday. The shutdown follows two related disruptions: a cable fire caused by a short circuit near station Rotterdam Stadion and subsequent repair failures that forced rail operator ProRail to again revise its timeline.

Testing of repaired cables and systems has begun. However, some cables are still not functioning properly. “That creates extra work again,” ProRail said. “We find it extremely annoying that we have to adjust the forecast again.”

Last Monday at Rotterdam Stadion, approximately 200 cables were destroyed in a fire. The fire was triggered by a short circuit in a cable duct, halting traffic toward the south.

By Tuesday, investigators determined the cause was a kink in a power cable. Officials said the defect triggered the short circuit and subsequent fire damage. Rail traffic on the corridor has remained suspended since then.

“Day and night, work is underway to repair the damaged cables in the cable duct, with specialized welding work being carried out. The majority of that has now been completed,” ProRail said.