Rail sabotage: Tubes tied to tracks in various locations; Collision near Steenwijk

The “material” saboteurs left on the railway in various parts of the Netherlands seem to be long pipes that were fastened to the tracks. A train collided with these pipes near Steenwijk in Overijssel early on Tuesday morning, a spokesperson for ProRail told NOS. No one was injured.

The ProRail spokesperson said that the fact that the pipes were tied to the tracks is what made the rail manager conclude that this was sabotage.

The Oost-Nederland police are investigating train tracks in various places. Regional broadcaster RTV Oost and NOS reporters have spotted investigators near Deventer, Veenendaal, Brummen, Barneveld, Twello, Lunteren, and Putten.

Officers were seen removing pipes approximately 1.5 to 2 meters long from the track area near Veenendaal, and a large bag was removed in Deventer using a hoist. It is not known what the bag contains.

The pipes on the tracks caused “section faults,” sending a signal to the rail traffic control system that the track is occupied at that location. Train traffic is severely disrupted, particularly in the central and eastern parts of the country. Utrecht Central Station, a major hub in the Dutch rail network, is also impacted.

State Secretary Annet Bertram of Infrastructure and Water Management is “deeply concerned” by this sabotage, she told NOS. “It is now crucial that this is thoroughly investigated.” The National Police are handling the investigation, ProRail said.

No one has claimed responsibility for the sabotage as of yet. Bart Schuurman, a professor of terrorism and political violence at Leiden University, told RTL Nieuws that the action could come from one of various groups.

He mentioned state actors like Russia. It could be left-wing extremists, like the man in Germany who tried to sabotage the power facilities in an attempt to get his government to use less fossil fuel, though the railway is considered the sustainable travel option. It could also be farmers protesting the nitrogen policy, Schuurman said. He stressed that this is all speculation.

The General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD) is assisting the police in the investigation. A spokesperson from the National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security (NCTV) declined to give ANP a comment on whether there are signs of terrorism.