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Train operations across the central and northern Netherlands are disrupted on Tuesday after authorities found materials deliberately placed at multiple points along the railway, prompting suspicions of sabotage.
The Dutch rail infrastructure operator ProRail reported that signaling failures began around 5:30 a.m. local time (3:30 a.m. GMT) at numerous locations. The disruptions are causing section malfunctions and are having major consequences for train traffic in the affected regions.
ProRail described the incident as an intentional disruption caused by human action, but the person responsible and the motive remain unknown, adding that the national police unit is investigating the case.
The operator said at least 15 disruptions have been recorded nationwide. Connections serving Amsterdam, Schiphol Airport and Utrecht are among those experiencing problems. Travelers are facing delays, canceled trains and longer journeys, while several level crossings are also malfunctioning and could affect road traffic.
Rail workers are clearing the materials and securing the tracks, and where possible, services are being restored, it added. Police removed metal pipes measuring about 1.5 meters from railway tracks in Veenendaal, in central Netherlands, according to footage released by Dutch public broadcaster NOS.
In Steenwijk, a train struck one of the objects. ProRail reported that the incident had no consequences for the train and that no one was injured.
The operator's security and detection systems identified the problems, allowing train traffic to be halted or adjusted. Specialists are still working to establish the cause and clear the outage, while the duration of the repairs remains unknown.
The Netherlands has faced a confirmed case of railway sabotage before. In June 2025, a fire damaged about 30 cables along the tracks near Schiphol Airport, disrupting train services between the airport, Amsterdam and Utrecht for much of the day.
Police initially investigated the incident as a possible crime and later concluded that the fire had been deliberately started, with investigators finding evidence of accelerants.
The June incident occurred as the NATO summit was opening in The Hague, prompting authorities to examine whether the disruption was intended to interfere with rail traffic during the high-profile event. By August 2025, police were still seeking witnesses and had not announced any arrests.
ProRail's broader figures also show that suspicious incidents affecting rail operations are not isolated. The operator recorded 10 reports of suspicious objects in 2025, compared with 16 in 2024, including reports involving suspicious behavior and bomb threats.
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