The three-country train between Maastricht in the Netherlands, the German city of Aachen, and Liège in Belgium was canceled too often last year and ran late 34% of the time. According to agreements between the Dutch province of Limburg and transport company Arriva, this should be no more than 5%.
The main reasons for cancellations and failure to adhere to the timetable are staff shortages, problems with rolling stock, and congestion on the German rail network.
Additional exams and training needed for train drivers
Since the end of June 2024, the three-country train has made it possible to travel between the above-mentioned cities in the Euroregion without having to change trains. Arriva is responsible for this and works together with the Dutch Railways NS and the Belgian NMBS/SNCB.
However, because not all Arriva train drivers are allowed to drive on the route to Aachen, the train connection suffers more from staff shortages. For example, a Dutch train driver operating in Germany must also meet the requirements of the German railway authority (EBA).
This means additional exams, medical examinations, and language requirements, as train drivers must have sufficient command of German to communicate with the German train dispatcher.
Although Arriva’s FLIRT trains have been adapted to run in the three countries, the use of these systems requires specific knowledge on the part of the train driver. Consequently, only train drivers who have undergone this additional training are allowed to operate these cross-border services.
Priority for freight traffic
The three-country train also regularly must wait at Aachen station due to delays and can lose time between Herzogenrath in Germany and Heerlen/Landgraaf in the Netherlands by ending up behind freight trains.
Although the route is relatively short, it is used intensively by freight trains traveling from the port of Rotterdam to Germany, or vice versa. Freight traffic often takes priority in Germany, which means that passenger trains such as the three-country train regularly must wait, so that even a minor disruption can immediately lead to significant delays. In addition, only one track is available on parts of the route between Heerlen and Herzogenrath.
57 new train drivers
According to the Dutch province of Limburg, this means that the reliability of the three-country train remains well below expectations, and consultation between multiple parties is needed to improve the situation. “This has our full attention.”
In April, Arriva announced that the staff shortage was decreasing, partly because around 57 new train drivers had been hired in Limburg in recent years.
