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ProRail Finds Deliberate Sabotage Halting Dutch Trains, Police Investigate

By Drooid · Sep 15, 2026, 2:54 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

ProRail Reports Sabotage

ProRail reported deliberate sabotage of railway tracks that halted trains across central and northern Netherlands.
Police and the Dutch intelligence agency AIVD launched a criminal investigation into the unknown perpetrators.
More than 20 locations contained 1.5-metre metal pipes placed on the tracks.
Nederlandse Spoorwegen cancelled services around Zwolle, Deventer, Amersfoort and other central routes.
Level crossings closed, causing additional road traffic disruptions in the affected areas.

Summary

Police Launch Investigation

ProRail workers wear gloves to preserve fingerprint evidence on sabotaged pipe materials.
Police spokeswoman Marloes Wesselink says an investigation is underway and no group claimed responsibility.
A train hit a sabotaged pipe, but no injuries were reported.
ProRail spokesperson Joke van der Cruysen says materials are removed carefully to avoid contaminating evidence.
ProRail coordinates with police while restoring traffic at 24 locations.

History

Historical Context

The March 11 2004 Madrid commuter-train bombings, which killed 193 people and injured about 2,500, prompted the EU to adopt new rail-security directives. In 2024, Dutch rail operator ProRail detected sabotage at more than 20 sites near Zwolle, Deventer and Amersfoort, leading Dutch police and the AIVD to launch investigations. The Dutch case revives the post-2004 push for tighter cross-border rail monitoring.

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ProRail Reports Sabotage

ProRail reported deliberate sabotage of railway tracks that halted trains across central and northern Netherlands.
Police and the Dutch intelligence agency AIVD launched a criminal investigation into the unknown perpetrators.
More than 20 locations contained 1.5-metre metal pipes placed on the tracks.
Nederlandse Spoorwegen cancelled services around Zwolle, Deventer, Amersfoort and other central routes.
Level crossings closed, causing additional road traffic disruptions in the affected areas.

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