Train services were disrupted across large parts of the Netherlands early on Tuesday after a malfunction suspected to have been caused by sabotage, according to Dutch broadcaster NOS.
Railway infrastructure manager ProRail said materials appeared to have been deliberately placed on tracks at several locations, describing the incident as unprecedented.
“Materials that were deliberately placed there have been found at multiple locations on the track,” a spokesperson said. “It appears to be a case of sabotage.”
The spokesperson said pipes had also been attached to the tracks but provided no further details.
Safety-system failures were reported at at least 20 locations, with ProRail saying the disruption had a nationwide impact.
“If train traffic is not possible in so many places, that also affects other places,” the spokesperson said.
Road traffic was also expected to be affected as commuters sought alternative routes.
ProRail said it knew which sections of track had been affected but not the precise locations of the suspected tampering.
“We therefore have to walk the entire route to locate and fix it,” the railway manager said.
ProRail did not speculate on who might have been responsible, saying its immediate priority was restoring train services.
