Betuweroute delay results in excessive volumes of dangerous goods on Brabant Line
Betuweroute: a futile attempt to rescue the congested Brabant Route
BD.nl reported in August that every year, three to five times the agreed number of wagons carrying hazardous substances use the Brabant route, increasing the risk of accidents. This is remarkable, because a dedicated freight track was prepared so that these substances do not have to cross the densely populated zones of Breda, Tilburg, Eindhoven and Helmond: the Betuweroute.
To understand why that is, we have to go back to the past. In 1992 the government concluded the Warnemünde treaty with Germany. The Netherlands committed itself to building the Betuwelijn, with two branches to the south and north: the border crossings at Venlo and Oldenzaal (Overijssel). But the Netherlands did not build the branches. Trains that run to the Ruhr area - a popular destination among carriers - reach their destination faster via the Brabant route.
The German government has also not fulfilled its agreements. The German part of the Betuwe line was supposed to be completed at the same time as the Dutch one, but due to protest from residents concerned about vibration nuisance, the work is constantly being postponed. The latest forecasts talk about 2031.
There is another reason that carriers are more likely to send their trains through Brabant cities. Because there is not yet an extension of the Betuweroute in Germany, trains end up on the regular rail network in Germany where they have to slow down for passenger trains. All this results in year after year exceeding the prescribed risk ceilings for the transport of dangerous goods on the Brabant railways.