Damaging impact of Dutch dangerous goods risk assessment 07/12/23
< Back to list
The number of trains carrying hazardous substances in the province is still many times higher than permitted
Amersfoort - The number of trains driving through the province with hazardous substances was many times higher than permitted last year. The municipality of Amersfoort, after questions from the Christian Union, published the figures for 2022. Amersfoort and Utrecht, among others, have long been asking for measures to reduce the number of trains. But recent figures from the ministry show that the number of freight wagons with hazardous substances traveling on the Utrecht railway line has not decreased. And that won't happen in the coming years.
More hazardous substances are transported on two routes than is permitted: from Amersfoort to Utrecht and from Amersfoort to Apeldoorn. This concerns hundreds of wagons more than is permitted. They transport flammable and dangerous gases and liquids.
Hundreds of wagons more
The Amersfoort-Apeldoorn route takes the cake: 1,107 wagons containing flammable liquid traveled over the track in 2022. The permitted maximum is 400. In addition, 891 wagons were carrying flammable gas, while that number may have been ten.
Another route in the province with far too many such trains is Amersfoort-Utrecht. There, no wagons from the above categories were allowed on the track at all. Nevertheless, 305 wagons with flammable gas and 96 wagons with highly flammable liquid were moved. These exceedances have been happening for years.
The fact that more wagons containing hazardous substances are being transported is not new. This has to do with the Betuwe line and a new railway line in Germany. Now that these works will take longer, the number of dangerous trains through the province will not decrease.
Activities in Germany
The Betuwe Line is a 170 kilometer route between Rotterdam and Zevenaar, specifically intended for freight transport. A freight route is also being constructed between Zevenaar and Oberhausen, the so-called 'Third Track'. The project has been delayed several times.
The expectation was that the work on that railway line would be completed by the end of 2022, but it will certainly last until 2025. Due to this work, the Betuwe line is not fully used, but alternative routes are driven through the Netherlands to still get the goods to Germany.
Major concerns
As early as 2016, both municipalities raised the alarm with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management because they were very concerned about the number of toxic trains. There are fears of additional risks for local residents. In answering the questions, the Amersfoort council indicates that the risks for people living next to the railway are indeed increasing.