Dutch rail strike halts trains to and from Amsterdam

AMSTERDAM (AP) — Train services ground to a near standstill around Amsterdam on Monday as the latest in a series of strikes by railway workers hit the Dutch capital, halting international services and affecting lines to and from the busy Schiphol international airport.

Eurostar, the company that runs trains between London and Amsterdam, said its trains would not run to Rotterdam or Amsterdam, and Thalys, whose trains run in France, the Netherlands and Belgium, warned travelers that its services would be disrupted.

Schiphol said on its website that there was “limited to no train traffic possible” although two trains each hour would run from the airport to and from the central city of Utrecht.

It is the latest blow to Schiphol that has seen a summer of disruptions and long lines to get through security checks because of a surge in post-pandemic travel and staff shortages.

“Travelers to Amsterdam are advised to use alternative transport,” Schiphol said, and urged people using taxis to carpool or share their ride.

Rail workers are striking to support their calls for higher wages and better working conditions. Union officials say that rail workers are under extreme pressure because of staff shortage at the national network and need a substantial pay rise because of the soaring inflation hitting the Netherlands and the rest of Europe.