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Netherlands Rail Network Disrupted by Suspected Sabotage
Confirmed
In Short: Parts of the Netherlands, including Amsterdam, have been hit by major rail disruption after suspected sabotage to the tracks, according to reports.
Suspected sabotage has caused significant disruption to the Netherlands' rail network, affecting parts of the country including Amsterdam, according to the country's railway infrastructure operator, ProRail. The incident appears to be 'an intentional disruption... caused by human action,' as stated in a ProRail statement.
The disruption, which has been recorded across the country, has led to at least 15 disruptions, including routes to the main international airport, Schiphol, and Utrecht. Footage published by Dutch public broadcaster NOS showed police carrying metal pipes from railway tracks at Veenendaal, central Netherlands.
The rail manager stated that materials were deliberately placed on the tracks, causing signal block failures and affecting train services around Zwolle, Deventer, and Amersfoort. ProRail detected faults in the signaling system at at least 20 different locations, with the disruption so extensive that a bus replacement service was not possible.
What's confirmed
- Suspected sabotage has caused significant disruption to the Netherlands' rail network, affecting parts of the country including Amsterdam, according to the country's railway infrastructure operator, ProRail. The incident appears to be 'an intentional disruption... caused by human action,' as stated in a ProRail statement.
- The disruption, which has been recorded across the country, has led to at least 15 disruptions, including routes to the main international airport, Schiphol, and Utrecht. Footage published by Dutch public broadcaster NOS showed police carrying metal pipes from railway tracks at Veenendaal, central Netherlands.
- The rail manager stated that materials were deliberately placed on the tracks, causing signal block failures and affecting train services around Zwolle, Deventer, and Amersfoort. ProRail detected faults in the signaling system at at least 20 different locations, with the disruption so extensive that a bus replacement service was not possible.
What's still developing
- According to prosecutors, a section of rail found on the track may have caused the crash.
- ProRail warned that passengers in the country's centre and north should expect cancellations and delays on Tuesday, while the closure of some level crossings could cause disruption to roads.
- A Eurostar train from Amsterdam to Paris was also delayed due to "operational restrictions" at Amsterdam Centraal on Tuesday, although it was not clear if this was linked to wider disruption.
- The disruption in the Netherlands came after separate reports in French media suggested a derailment in Normandy on Friday could have been an act of sabotage.
- “Train services around Zwolle, Deventer, and Amersfoort are the most severely affected, though disruptions are occurring elsewhere as well,” NS said.