A large-scale act of sabotage hit the Dutch railway network on the morning of 15 September. Unknown individuals attached metal and plastic pipes to the tracks at more than 30 locations. The safety system mistakenly registered those sections as occupied, signals switched to red, and train traffic in the central and northern parts of the country almost completely stopped.
The first reports of disruptions came in around 5:30 a.m. Infrastructure operator ProRail found objects that had been deliberately placed on the rails. The pipes triggered false occupancy readings: the system treated the sections as occupied by a train even though none was present. For safety reasons, signals automatically turned red, trains were forced to stop or slow down, and some level crossings failed, disrupting road traffic as well.
The worst-affected routes were those around Zwolle, Deventer and Amersfoort. Services toward Schiphol Airport and Utrecht were also hit. In one incident, a train struck a pipe near Steenwijk; no one was injured. ProRail said more than 30 such incidents had been recorded. At some sites, objects reappeared after they had already been removed.
The company described the events as intentional interference. “Materials were deliberately placed on the tracks. This appears to be sabotage,” ProRail said. Police and security services have opened an investigation. No suspects or motives have been identified so far. The incident coincided with Prinsjesdag — the day the budget is presented — but no link has been confirmed. Extinction Rebellion, which held actions in The Hague, has denied any involvement in the railway incidents.
By midday, services were being restored gradually. National operator NS warned passengers of possible delays and cancellations through the rest of the day. State Secretary for Infrastructure Annet Bertram called the situation “particularly worrying” and demanded a thorough investigation.
