A fire in a cable duct along the tracks caused a week-long blockade of the important rail connection between Rotterdam and the south. Professor Wijnand Veeneman of TU Delft suggests that a kink in a copper cable is the cause. Due to extreme heat and the heat from the current itself, copper expands, causing the cable to gain extra length that has nowhere to go if freedom of movement is limited. This kink can lead to increased resistance, melting of the plastic sheath, and ultimately a short circuit and fire. Although the fire was quickly extinguished, repairing hundreds of damaged cables requires significant time. Veeneman emphasizes that this incident is likely the result of a complex interplay of factors, including climate change, the enormous scale of the railway network, and the pressure on contractors.