Netherlands: Suspected sabotage disrupts train services
A major outage has hit parts of the Dutch railway system after objects were found placed across lines, authorities say. The company responsible for rail infrastructure says it suspects deliberate wrongdoing.
Train services across parts of the Netherlands have been significantly disrupted due to suspected sabotage, according to ProRail, the company responsible for maintaining the country's rail infrastructure. National railway operator NS reported that train services around central cities such as Zwolle, Deventer, and Amersfoort have been impacted since the morning rush hour.
ProRail stated that materials deliberately placed on tracks have been discovered at several locations, leading to track-circuit failures. This disruption has affected multiple level crossings, causing road traffic issues as well. Workers from ProRail are currently clearing the materials and working to restore safe conditions. While the nature of the materials remains unclear, a ProRail spokesperson confirmed that pipes had been found attached to the tracks in various places.
These pipes caused disruptions as the railway security systems could detect a train's presence on a line due to an object placed on it, thus blocking access for other trains. One train even collided with one of the pipes, but no accidents or injuries were reported. It is currently unknown if the incident is connected to Prinsjesdag, a day when the Dutch government presents its annual budget to parliament and the monarch gives a speech.
Thousands of people attend this event in The Hague, which could potentially contribute to the disruption.
Written by urgent.news from DW News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
