Traffic distruption
Details
This is an expired event!
Event title
Netherlands - Sabotage Disrupts Rail Services Across the Netherlands
Source
Severity
High
Event date (UTC)
2026-09-15 12:36:35
Last update (UTC)
2026-09-15 12:36:35
Area range
Multiple counties wide event
Address/Affected area(s)
across parts of the Netherlands
Rail services across parts of the Netherlands were severely disrupted Wednesday morning after incidents at multiple locations along railway lines in the central part of the country were identified as sabotage, Dutch media reported.
The incidents began around 5:30 a.m. at at least 20 locations, affecting rail traffic across central and northern Netherlands. ProRail said it found materials that had been deliberately placed or attached to the tracks.
The railway operator told news agency ANP that pipes had been “deliberately” attached to rails. The devices caused ProRail’s signaling system to register sections of track as occupied even though no trains were present, creating what are known as “section disruptions.” As a safety measure, signals automatically turned red, forcing trains to stop or operate at reduced speeds.
Police have been notified and launched an investigation into the incidents.
Train services were running less frequently or had been suspended altogether in many areas of central, eastern and northern Netherlands, according to the news platform Nu. Services to Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport were also affected.
A ProRail spokesperson told broadcaster NOS that restoring normal rail traffic was a priority, but investigators were also trying to avoid disturbing any potential evidence at the affected sites.
Rail operator NS and ProRail advised passengers to monitor the journey planning app for the latest information. The app was itself experiencing problems for some users, with an NS spokesperson saying the disruption was likely caused by system overload.
The sabotage occurred on the same day the Dutch government is due to present its draft 2027 budget to parliament in The Hague. It was not immediately clear whether the incidents were connected to Budget Day, but the rail disruptions have disrupted travel plans for people intending to attend the event.
The incidents also recall similar disruption during last year’s NATO summit in The Hague, when sabotage affected train services, according to BTA.