Dutch rail infrastructure operator ProRail said disruptions to train services across the north and centre of the Netherlands during the first half of Tuesday, September 15, were likely the result of deliberate sabotage.
Early on Tuesday morning, as trains were due to start running, pipes and cables were found on roughly 20 sections of track. The objects triggered the railway's monitoring system to signal that those sections were occupied or unsafe for trains to pass.
In total, more than 35 stoppages of train services occurred. ProRail said that in some locations, foreign objects were found on the rails again after they had already been cleared once. The company said this pointed to deliberate action, and possibly sabotage.
No one has yet claimed responsibility for the incidents. Activists who have previously been linked to various incidents involving public transport and to traffic blockades have denied any involvement, according to the Dutch broadcaster NOS.
Timing on budget day
The incidents took place on Prinsjesdag, the day each September when the Dutch government presents its draft budget to parliament. It is one of the most closely watched dates on the Dutch political calendar, marked by formal ceremonies including the king's speech to the States General.
At the same time, protests by farmers were taking place in several parts of the country, with demonstrators setting fire to bales of hay on motorways. The Farmers Defence Force, the organisation behind those protests, said it had no connection to what happened on the railway.
What ProRail oversees
ProRail is the state-owned company responsible for managing and maintaining the Netherlands' rail network, including tracks, signalling and the systems that monitor whether lines are clear for trains to run. Disruption to that monitoring system was what caused Tuesday's stoppages, according to the company.
No further details have been given on who might be behind the incidents or whether an investigation has been opened.
