Everything seems to be going wrong at the same time with public transport to and from Amsterdam-Noord. After the closure of the subway and the damage to the Buiksloterweg ferry pier, the GVB appears to have also taken five ferries out of service “as a precaution”. The subway is not expected to run until Saturday.
Het Parool10 January 2024, 5.20pm
Travelers wishing to take public transport to and from Amsterdam-Noord on Wednesday should expect delays. The North/South line does not run all day between the Central Station and the North due to the consequences of a broken drinking water pipe. The ferry to and from Buiksloterweg also does not sail due to damage to the mooring point.
According to the GVB the metro between CS and Noord will probably not operate until Saturday. “Shuttle buses are deployed and GVB employees are working around the clock to help stranded travelers on their journey.”
Furthermore, GVB had to take five ferries out of service as a precaution. These “60 series” vessels contain parts that can cause technical problems, says a GVB spokesperson. This causes damage to the electrical system. GVB has a total of 24 ferries.
“We will continue to sail on all connections across the IJ,” the GVB spokesperson said. “With the exception of the Sporenburg-Zeeburgereiland connection. The Amsterdamsebrug is an alternative here for travellers. Depending on the crowd we determine where the ships will be deployed. It is expected that one of the ships may be deployed again on Friday. The work on the other four ships will take about two weeks.”
Part of the platform collapsed
The problems on Buiksloterweg revolve around the “landing” where the ferry arrives. It was seriously damaged because the chains of the pontoon, a floating platform attached to the shore, broke. The central part of the platform collapsed; it has now been brought to the surface, but has not yet been repaired. GVB had previously reported that the shoulder had subsided due to a sinkhole, but this does not appear to be the case.
Due to the damage it is not possible to land on the Buiksloterweg. The GVB expects that it will take two to three days before the ferry can sail to and from the Buiksloterweg again.
Three people were walking along the landing when it was damaged, an eyewitness said. Two people remained with their feet on dry land, but an English woman sank in the water to just below her waist. With the help of passers-by, the woman managed to be brought back to shore. “It was bizarre. People were just walking and – bam – the platform collapsed,” says the eyewitness, who wishes to remain anonymous.
According to a GVB spokesperson no one ended up in the water; a woman would fall through the hole in the ground. “She escaped unharmed.”
Travelers are advised to take the ferry to and from IJplein. Around 2pm it’s still quiet at Amsterdam Central Station.
The central part of the platform at the Buiksloterwegveer collapsed. Image Het Parool
Water pump
The problems with the subway emerged on Tuesday and were caused by a broken drinking water pipe. This has now been resolved, but for the time being Metro 52 will not run at all between CS and Noord.
“The water has almost been pumped away and we have started the cleaning work together with specialized companies. Then we can analyze the damage in the tunnel and assess what is needed to travel safely,” said the GVB spokesperson. “Until it becomes clearer, the advice to the traveler is not to travel via Noord and to keep an eye out general travel information.”
Water entered the tunnel of metro line 52 on Tuesday evening. “Unfortunately, pumping takes longer,” the spokesperson continues. “We expect the water to come out of the tunnel around noon. Then we can start cleaning and drying the equipment.”
GVB will operate two additional shuttle buses during peak hours on Wednesday, in addition to the six buses the company has operated since Tuesday. «These are buses that pass through Jan de Wit and circulate with Polish or Dutch license plates. Directors can also be Polish. We will ensure that the buses are easily recognisable. If more buses are needed, we’ll see what we can do. Personnel is also a sensitive issue for Jan de Wit.”
On Tuesday evening, around 6pm, a traveler described the situation around the shuttle buses as “dramatic”. “There are too few buses. There are about two hundred people waiting here and the number is increasing. You push and pull and nothing happens. Prices for an Uber ride have also increased significantly.”
The failure of the metro line causes further delays for people coming from nearby places such as Purmerend, Edam and Volendam. Due to construction on the Prins Hendrikkade, regional buses to and from Amsterdam currently stop in Noord instead of Amsterdam Central Station.
Removal of trees
“Little” is still known about the overall damage suffered by the tunnel, says the GVB spokesperson. “We are examining step by step what measures we need to take to drive safely and responsibly again. Everyone is doing their best to get everything back up and running as quickly as possible.”
According to GVB employees who were cordoning off the sidewalk around the leak on Tuesday, the water pipe was hit while a tree and its roots were being removed.
Employees verbally insulted
A spokesperson for GVB says transport service employees often face verbal abuse due to all the problems. “They can’t do anything about the situation. We understand everyone’s frustration and share it, but our employees are just doing their jobs and doing their best to help travelers.”
The burst water pipe on the Sixhavenweg Image Jakob van Vliet
2024-01-10 13:00:00
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