Train services in several parts of the Netherlands were severely disrupted after materials were found placed on railway tracks, according to rail infrastructure operator ProRail. National railway company NS said services around the central cities of Zwolle, Deventer and Amersfoort were affected from the morning rush hour.
ProRail said the materials had been deliberately placed at several locations and caused failures in track-circuit systems. Those systems can detect a train or an object on a line and block access to other trains, disrupting normal operations and creating safety restrictions.
The objects also affected several level crossings, according to ProRail, causing disruption to road traffic. Workers were clearing the materials and attempting to restore safe conditions across the affected parts of the network.
ProRail did not initially specify what the materials were. However, a spokesperson told the Dutch daily de Volkskrant that pipes had been found attached to the line in several places. The spokesperson also said that one train collided with a pipe placed on the tracks, but that no accident or injuries resulted.
ProRail said the incident appeared to be sabotage, although the supplied information does not identify those responsible or indicate whether anyone has been detained. It also remains unclear whether the disruption was connected to Prinsjesdag, the day on which the Dutch government presents its annual budget to parliament and the monarch delivers a speech in The Hague.