Explosion Causes Amsterdam Power Outage
Journey Tribune – A reported explosion at a major electricity substation plunged large parts of Amsterdam’s city center and western districts into darkness on Wednesday afternoon, disrupting daily life for tens of thousands of residents and businesses and bringing parts of the capital’s public transport network to a halt.
The power outage began shortly after 4:00 p.m., when emergency services received multiple calls reporting the smell of smoke near a substation on Marnixstraat, a key artery connecting the city center with western neighborhoods. Firefighters were quickly dispatched to the scene, where officials later confirmed that an explosion had occurred during maintenance work.
“During maintenance activities on Marnixstraat, an explosion took place,” a spokesperson for the Amsterdam fire brigade told local broadcaster AT5. The spokesperson did not specify which equipment was damaged or what caused the blast, but said the incident resulted in widespread power disruptions across several districts. No fire broke out following the explosion.
According to energy network operator Liander, approximately 50,000 homes and businesses lost electricity as a result of the incident. Affected areas included large sections of Amsterdam Centrum as well as neighborhoods in West, Nieuw-West, and parts of Zuid. Four people sustained minor injuries, authorities confirmed, though none were reported to be in critical condition.
The blackout prompted city officials to issue an NL-Alert to mobile phones across the affected areas. The alert, delivered in both Dutch and English, warned residents that the duration of the outage was “currently unknown” and urged them to take basic safety precautions.
“Do not use elevators and check whether neighbors may need assistance,” the message said. Residents were also instructed to contact emergency services only in life-threatening situations, as authorities sought to prevent emergency lines from becoming overwhelmed.
In response to the scale of the disruption, the incident was classified as a Grip 2 regional emergency. Under this protocol, a single on-site incident commander is appointed, supported by a regional coordination team tasked with managing communication, infrastructure response, and public safety across municipal boundaries.
Liander said dozens of streets were affected by the outage and initially warned that power restoration could take several hours. Repair crews were unable to immediately access all affected infrastructure, complicating early efforts to restore service. At one point, the utility company estimated electricity would not return before 6:30 p.m.
The outage created significant challenges during the evening rush hour. Amsterdam’s public transport operator GVB reported widespread tram disruptions, with lines 3, 5, 7, 13, and 19 coming to a complete standstill. Several other tram routes, including lines 1, 2, 12, and 17, were diverted due to disabled traffic signals and power-dependent switching systems.
Metros, buses, and ferries were largely able to continue operating on their normal schedules, GVB said, although officials warned passengers to expect delays due to congestion and increased demand. Separately, unrelated train delays were reported on routes between Amsterdam Centraal and Alkmaar, as well as between Amsterdam Zuid and The Hague, adding to travel frustrations across the region.
City authorities urged residents to remain patient as crews worked to stabilize the power grid. Liander advised households affected by the outage to keep heat inside their homes by closing doors and windows and to avoid opening refrigerators and freezers unnecessarily to preserve food.
Businesses across the city center were also impacted, with shops, cafes, and offices forced to close temporarily or operate under limited conditions. Several restaurants reported losing perishable goods, while retailers said payment systems dependent on electricity were rendered unusable.
By early evening, progress toward restoring power was reported. Liander confirmed that electricity was gradually returning to most affected neighborhoods, and by approximately 5:35 p.m., the majority of customers had their power restored. Officials said crews would continue monitoring the network throughout the evening to ensure stability and prevent further outages.
Authorities have not yet announced whether the explosion will trigger a broader investigation or changes to maintenance procedures. The cause of the blast remains under review, and officials said further information would be released once inspections of the damaged infrastructure are complete.
The incident has renewed attention on the resilience of Amsterdam’s aging energy infrastructure, particularly as the city faces increasing demand from electrification, population growth, and climate-related pressures. While Wednesday’s outage was resolved relatively quickly, officials acknowledged the disruption underscored the vulnerability of critical systems during peak hours.
For residents affected by the blackout, the sudden loss of power served as a stark reminder of the city’s dependence on complex energy networks — and how quickly daily routines can be interrupted when those systems fail.
