Amsterdam-Rhine Canal closed at night to large ships

Rijkswaterstaat is partially closing sections of the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal at night starting 1 September due to a shortage of traffic controllers.

The daily restriction runs from 22:00 to 06:00 in the Maarssen and Wijk bij Duurstede sectors.

It applies to inland cargo ships longer than 135 metres and vessels transporting certain hazardous goods, affecting a few dozen ships each night.

Affected routes and regional changes

Glashaven and the Prins Bernhardsluizen locks will remain accessible during the restricted hours.

In the Dordrecht region, night traffic management will stop from 15 September, but the route will stay open for all shipping as captains are asked to pay extra attention to other vessels.

The staffing shortage stems from tight crew numbers, a difficult labor market, and sick leave.

Training delays and search for solutions

Because training new traffic controllers takes roughly two years, night shifts had already been cancelled regularly over recent months.

Rijkswaterstaat is looking for alternatives to remove the restrictions as soon as possible while keeping waterway safety as the priority.

Source: De Telegraaf