A sweeping disruption struck sections of the Dutch rail network early Tuesday, with the company responsible for maintaining the country’s railway infrastructure investigating whether the incident was an act of sabotage.
The Netherlands’ rail system carries hundreds of thousands of travelers every day. Tuesday’s cancellations and delays affected thousands of passengers, particularly across the central and eastern parts of the country, while some routes in the heavily populated western region were also disrupted.
Joke van der Cruysen, a spokeswoman for rail infrastructure manager ProRail, told The Associated Press that disruptions were reported at 24 separate locations.
“Material has been found at several locations. It appears that this material was deliberately placed on the tracks. We suspect sabotage,” she said in a telephone interview. “The police are currently involved and are actively investigating the cause and the reasons behind this.”
Authorities had not immediately identified any suspects or indicated who may have been responsible for the apparent sabotage.
Van der Cruysen said ProRail crews were clearing the affected tracks while taking special care to preserve any possible evidence collected from the rail lines.
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“We wear gloves so that the police can eventually check for fingerprints and the like,” she said. “And, of course, we try to get train traffic up and running again as soon as possible.”
Police spokeswoman Marloes Wesselink confirmed that investigators were examining the incidents, though she declined to provide additional details. She added that she was not aware of any group or individual claiming responsibility.
National rail operator NS said services near the central Dutch cities of Zwolle, Deventer and Amersfoort were especially heavily affected during the morning commute.
“It is not yet clear how long it will take for train services to return to normal,” NS said in a message to passengers.
The disruption happened on the day that the Dutch government is presenting its annual budget to parliament, an event that draws thousands of people to The Hague to watch the royal family ride through the city in horse-drawn carriages.