Rail services across central and northern Netherlands faced major disruption on Tuesday after objects were deliberately placed on tracks at multiple locations.
Rail operator ProRail said the incidents appeared to be an intentional disruption caused by human action. Police have launched a criminal investigation, but no suspects or motives have been identified.
ProRail reported about 30 disruptions across the country. Routes serving Schiphol Airport, Eindhoven and Utrecht were among those affected. The disruption also caused delays and cancellations across the network. Some level crossings were closed, affecting road traffic in certain areas.
ProRail said objects had been removed from several tracks, only for further faults to be reported at some of the same locations.
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Police, the national public prosecutor’s office and the Netherlands’ intelligence agency, AIVD, are investigating the incidents. Footage released by Dutch broadcaster NOS showed officers carrying metal pipes and cables away from railway tracks at Veenendaal. The pipes were reportedly about 1.5 metres long.
One train in Steenwijk struck an object placed on the tracks. ProRail said nobody was injured. Train operator Nederlandse Spoorwegen initially said the disruption was so extensive that it could not provide replacement buses. Services began gradually resuming later on Tuesday, although delays and cancellations remained.
A Eurostar service from Amsterdam to Paris was also delayed earlier because of operational restrictions at Amsterdam Centraal. The company said the delay was not caused by the wider disruption.
The incidents occurred on Prinsjesdag, when the Dutch government presents its annual budget. Authorities have not established a connection between the railway disruption and protests taking place across the country.
