There is a national problem with sinking property foundations – but now subsidence is affecting the Dutch railway infrastructure.

On Monday, network manager ProRail announced that fewer trains would run between Eindhoven and Utrecht due to subsidence issues and it is continuing to monitor the tracks and has reduced speeds on certain stretches.

According to a report from the RLi Council for the Environment and Infrastructure, published in 2024, Dutch roads and railways will be affected by subsidence, linked to lower water tables and more frequent heavy rain and heatwaves.

“All infrastructure built on piles (bridges, viaducts, canal walls and similar) is subject in principle to the same problems and types of damage as buildings,” said the report. “The Dutch railway network, for example, contains a large number of old bridges with foundations on wooden piles.”

Heavier traffic loads can cause problems, and there are also issues when extreme rainfall reduces the strength of stretches of rail built on a compacted bed of sand.

At a meeting to present the report, former infrastructure minister Mark Harbers said: “There are more examples of damage, also on our roads and railways. It’s not just buildings.”