Provincial and local councils are calling on the government to scrap plans to relax the rules around the transport of dangerous substances by rail.

The proposal to lift the safety rules, which will be discussed in parliament on Thursday, has caused concern to towns, cities, and villages on certain routes. They fear the risks of accidents will increase if freight companies are no longer held to a maximum number of journeys to limit risks to built-up areas.

The rules have been in place for the last 10 years, but according to the government, they are not improving safety and are hampering industry.

“We are talking about thousands of wagon loads of hazardous substances a year. You want to be able to control the risks,” Noord-Brabant official Haga Roijackers told broadcaster NOS. “We have been doing that by ascertaining risk levels. The plan to abolish them is an extraordinarily bad idea,” she said.

But according to safety expert professor Ben Ale, the rules are frequently ignored. “That is why they don’t work. But if you have a transport limit, you can plan around it,” he said.

Two years ago, the provincial authorities in Overijssel complained to the cabinet that far too many transports were taking place between Deventer in Hengelo. According to the rules, 210 flammable gas transports are considered safe but in 2022 their number shot up to 1500.

The mayors of Breda, Tilburg and Eindhoven said they could not “guarantee the safety of our citizens” if the plan is given the go-ahead.

The association of transporters and companies that work with hazardous substances CTGG is in favour of the plan. “Dutch industry is not doing well. It is of primary importance that the industry can reach the ports. We must be able to do our job in the Netherlands,” spokesman Henk Bril said.

Rail manager ProRail sees no objection to relaxing the risk levels, saying transport by rail is safe. “There are many risks in life but this is among the smallest. So it’s a shame people are afraid, there is no need,” safety programme manager Peter Robbe said.

Ale said the risks are small but not negligible. “The chances of a disaster are not nil. It’s not a question of if but when. If you think that is acceptable or not is something politicians should weigh up,” he said.

The Noord-Brabant provincial authorities have said they may go to court if the plan to relax the rules is not scrapped.