A coordinated sabotage on the Dutch rail network on Prinsjesdag (Prince’s Day) caused widespread disruption across central and northern parts of the country.
Prinsjesdag (Prince’s Day) marks the official opening of the parliamentary year in the Netherlands, and is held annually on the third Tuesday of September.
Police and the AIVD intelligence service are investigating. No suspects or motive have been identified, and no group has claimed responsibility. Officials said the scale of the sabotage points to an organized effort rather than isolated vandalism.
At around 5:30 a.m., Dutch rail infrastructure operator ProRail discovered metal pipes attached to tracks at over 20–30 locations. The sabotage triggered track-circuit failures, making safety systems register sections as occupied and forcing signals to red. This halted or severely delayed services on key routes such as Amersfoort–Zwolle, Utrecht–Arnhem, Arnhem–Zutphen, and Zwolle–Leeuwarden.
One train struck a pipe near Steenwijk without derailing or causing injuries. Level crossings also malfunctioned, adding road disruption. Authorities found steel pipes up to 2 meters long in at least five locations in Gelderland.
📌Around 20 Sabotage Incidents Disrupt Trains Across Netherlands
Train services across central and northern Netherlands were disrupted during Tuesday’s morning rush hour after long pipes were deliberately attached to railway tracks at around 20 locations.
ProRail said the… pic.twitter.com/g4bDBDsTVd
— Context 360 (@NewsContext360) September 15, 2026