Netherlands rail disruption due to suspected sabotage, operator saysSkip to contentWatch LiveBritish Broadcasting CorporationHomeNewsSportBusinessTechnologyHealthCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesHomeNewsUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. 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Pipes and cables were placed on the tracks in multiple locations, according to local media. In a statement, ProRail said the incident appeared to be "an intentional disruption... caused by human action".It added that no suspects or motives had been identified. Police said a criminal investigation had been launched."Objects were found on railway tracks at several locations across the country, causing major disruption to rail traffic," Dutch police said in a statement. The national public prosecutor's office and the Netherlands' intelligence agency AIVD is investigating the incident alongside police.Routes to the main international airport, Schiphol, Eindhoven and Utrecht were among those affected on Tuesday, with the network saying that 30 disruptions had been reported across the country. The closure of some level crossing also caused some disruption to roads."At some locations, multiple reports were received. We removed items that had been found on the tracks, but later received another report of a fault at the same location," ProRail added.Train operator Nederlandse Spoorwegen earlier said that disruption was so extensive it was "not possible" to provide a bus replacement service. In an update on Tuesday afternoon it said train service was gradually resuming but with some delays and cancellations.A Eurostar train from Amsterdam to Paris was earlier delayed due to "operational restrictions" at Amsterdam Centraal, but the company said it was not impacted by the wider disruption in the Netherlands. ProRail said in a statement: "Materials were found at multiple locations in the track that were deliberately placed there. This causes section malfunctions. Sabotage appears to be involved".In an update at lunchtime on Tuesday, Netherlands Police said officers remained at impacted sites and were in close contact with ProRail to ensure train lines were "reopened for use as quickly as possible".EPAInformation boards at Zwolle station showed significant delays on TuesdayFootage published by Dutch public broadcaster NOS on Tuesday showed police carrying what appeared to be metal pipes - about 1.5 metres (5ft) long - and cables away from railway tracks at Veenendaal in the central Netherlands.One train in the city of Steenwijk struck one of the objects, ProRail said, but added there were no injuries as a result.Tuesday is Prinsjesdag in the Netherlands - the day the government presents its budget. Hay bales were lit on fire along various roads across the Netherlands in the afternoon, after Farmers Defence Force (FDF) - a group aimed at defending the interests of Dutch farmers and farm workers - said protests would take place.The group is opposing government plans asking them to reduce nitrogen emissions. Authorities have not established a link between the protests and the disruption on the rail network.The FDF said it was not responsible for the railway sabotage, but said it could not rule out the involvement of individual farmers. 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.According to prosecutors, a section of rail found on the track may have caused the crash. But France's interior minister Laurent Nunez has urged caution while an investigation is ongoing, saying that authorities are pursuing all leads.NetherlandsRail travelEuropeRelatedBest friends for decades - until a DNA test revealed they were sistersFive dead and dozens injured in coach crash in Swiss AlpsCan Europe recharge its battery industry?More from the BBC23 mins agoAsh from Mount Etna grounds flights at Sicily airportAll flights are suspended from one of Italy's busiest airports until Tuesday night. 23 mins ago3 hrs agoDenmark says Russian warship fired flares at military helicopterThe Danish prime minister has accused Russia of "reckless" behaviour, while the Kremlin is yet to comment.3 hrs ago10 hrs ago'Complete chaos' as car park closesA councillor says the closure is having an "immediate and noticeable impact" in the area.10 hrs ago1 day agoRussia hits Ukrainian train shortly after Boris Johnson and top European officials leave stationThe former UK PM said: "I don't know what warped logic drove Putin to blow up a stationary Ukrainian locomotive on the Polish border this morning".1 day ago1 day agoMayor backs £1bn battery-electric train projectThe trains will run between key destinations across the north, including Hull.1 day agoBritish Broadcasting CorporationHomeNewsSportBusinessTechnologyHealthCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesWeatherBBC ShopBritBoxBBC in other languagesThe BBC is in multiple languagesRead the BBC In your own languageBBC News BrasilBBC News Mundo (Spanish)BBC News မြန်မာ (Burmese)BBC News 中文 (Chinese)BBC News IndonesiaBBC News 코리아 (Korean)BBC News ไทย (Thai)BBC News Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)BBC News Azərbaycanca (Azeri)BBC News Magyarul (Hungarian)BBC News Кыргыз Кызматы (Kyrgyz)BBC News Polska (Polish)BBC News România (Romanian)BBC News Русская служба (Russian)BBC News na srpskom (Serbian)BBC News Україна (Ukrainian)BBC News O'zbek (Uzbek)BBC News عربي (Arabic)BBC News فارسی (Persian)BBC News Türkçe (Turkish)BBC News বাংলা (Bengali)BBC News دری (Dari)BBC News ગુજરાતી (Gujarati)BBC News हिन्दी (Hindi)BBC News मराठी (Marathi)BBC News नेपाली (Nepali)BBC News සිංහල (Sinhala)BBC News پښتو (Pashto)BBC News ਪੰਜਾਬੀ (Punjabi)BBC News Afaan OromooBBC News አማርኛ (Amharic)BBC News Afrique (French)BBC News HausaBBC News Gaelic NAIDHEACHDANBBC News ÌgbòBBC News Japanese 日本語BBC News GahuzaBBC News PidginBBC News SomaliBBC News SwahiliBBC News தமிழ் (Tamil)BBC News తెలుగు (Telugu)BBC News ትግርኛ (Tigrinya)BBC News اردو (Urdu)BBC News YorùbáBBC News World ServiceFollow BBC on:Terms of UseSubscription TermsAbout the BBCPrivacy PolicyCookiesAccessibility HelpContact the BBCAdvertise with usDo not share or sell my infoBBC.com Help & FAQsContent IndexSet Preferred SourceCopyright 2026 BBC. 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Parts of the Netherlands experienced significant rail disruption following suspected sabotage to the railway infrastructure, as reported by the country's railway operator, ProRail. The incident resulted in widespread cancellations and delays across the center and north of the country on Tuesday, affecting routes to major transport hubs including Amsterdam, Schiphol airport, Eindhoven, and Utrecht. ProRail stated that the disruption, though not entirely resolved, was gradually being managed, and that the operational malfunction appeared to be intentionally caused by human action, although no specific suspects or motives had been identified at that time.

Dutch police launched a criminal investigation into the event, and the national public prosecutor's office, alongside the intelligence agency AIVD, are actively investigating the matter. Reports indicated that objects, including metal pipes and cables, were discovered on various locations along the railway tracks, which caused substantial disruption to rail traffic. The investigation highlighted multiple locations where items were found, leading to reports of faults. For instance, footage released by the Dutch public broadcaster showed police moving metal pipes and cables away from tracks in the Veenendaal region. Although one train struck one of these objects in Steenwijk, no injuries were reported.

The extensive disruption also led to secondary effects, such as the closure of some level crossings, which further impacted road traffic. Train operators, Nederlandse Spoorwegen, acknowledged the severity of the situation, noting that the disruption was extensive enough that providing bus replacement services was not feasible. Train services were gradually resuming, albeit with ongoing delays and cancellations.

The context surrounding the disruption involved other concurrent events. Tuesday marked Prinsjesdag, the day the government presented its budget, while protests were occurring involving the Farmers Defence Force (FDF), a group opposing government plans to reduce nitrogen emissions. Authorities have not established a direct link between these protests and the railway sabotage. Furthermore, reports in French media suggested that a derailment in Normandy on Friday might have been an act of sabotage, prompting caution from France's interior minister while investigations continue. The evidence suggests that materials were deliberately placed on the tracks, leading to section malfunctions, confirming that sabotage was involved.