Suspected sabotage on Prinsjesdag: what the rail disruptions mean for expats

If you were trying to get to work, Schiphol, or Utrecht Central Station on Tuesday 15 September, you probably ran into chaos. Metal pipes — 1.5 to 2 metres long — were deliberately tied to railway tracks across central, eastern, and northern Netherlands, causing dozens of signal failures, cancellations, and severe delays. By mid-afternoon, Dutch railway operator NS said it was “gradually” restarting passenger service, but ProRail warned that more debris had been found at locations already cleared, and fires were set along highways at the same time Source 1, Source 3.

The timing is no coincidence. 15 September is Prinsjesdag (Prince’s Day), the third Tuesday in September when the Cabinet presents its budget plans to the Tweede Kamer (the lower house of parliament). It’s a day of royal ceremony and political theatre — and a magnet for protest. But who placed the pipes, and why, remains unclear.

What actually happened

Early Tuesday morning, ProRail (the state-owned rail infrastructure manager) detected “section faults” — signals showing a track is occupied — at multiple locations. Investigators from the Oost-Nederland police found pipes fastened to the rails in towns including Veenendaal, Deventer, Brummen, Barneveld, Twello, Lunteren, and Putten. Near Steenwijk in Overijssel, a train collided with the pipes; no one was injured Source 2.

By the time NS began restarting services in the afternoon, ProRail reported that the saboteurs had also tampered with switches and tricked signal lights to show red. Meanwhile, fires were set along highways — though police have not confirmed a connection to the rail sabotage Source 3.

Who is behind it?

No group has claimed responsibility. Extinction Rebellion, which did stage a separate protest near the Prinsjesdag ceremony in The Hague, explicitly denied involvement. Farmers’ group Agractie also said it was not responsible. However, the radical farmers’ organisation Farmers Defense Force (FDF) told broadcaster NOS it “would not be surprised” if some farmer activists were involved — though it stressed the action was not orchestrated by the group. FDF leader Mark van den Oever said farmers have indicated they plan to demonstrate “without restriction” on Tuesday, and Dutch farmers have a history of using hay bale fires, manure sprays, and tractor blockades to protest nitrogen-emission restrictions Source 3.

Leiden University professor Bart Schuurman, an expert in terrorism and political violence, told RTL Nieuws that the action could come from various actors: state actors like Russia, left-wing extremists, or domestic protest groups. “It could be the man in Germany who tried to sabotage power facilities to force his government to use less fossil fuel,” he said Source 2.

The National Police unit is leading the investigation. State Secretary Annet Bertram of Infrastructure and Water Management called the sabotage “deeply concerning” and urged a thorough probe Source 2.

What this means for you

If you live in the Netherlands on a residence permit, your immediate concern is travel disruption. As of Tuesday afternoon, NS advised that most routes were returning to service, but delays and cancellations could persist into the evening. Check the NS app or ProRail’s real-time updates before heading out. Utrecht Central Station — a major hub connecting international trains to Schiphol and Germany — was heavily affected. If you missed a connection or were stuck at a station, you are generally entitled to compensation under NS’s delay policy (more than 30 minutes delay = partial refund; more than 60 minutes = full refund). Keep your ticket or OV-chipkaart transaction record Source 1.

More broadly, this incident shows that Dutch critical infrastructure is vulnerable to targeted disruption. The government has not issued any security alert for expats, but if you notice suspicious activity near railway tracks or other transport hubs, you can report it anonymously to Meld Misdaad Anoniem (0800-7000) or call the police on 112 in emergencies.

What happens next?

The investigation is in its early stages. Police are analysing the pipes and a large bag removed from tracks in Deventer (contents unknown). The question of motive remains open: is this a protest against nitrogen policy, a political statement on Prinsjesdag, or something more sinister? For now, the advice is to stay informed, plan extra travel time, and remember that the Dutch rail system — normally one of the most reliable in Europe — can be knocked off course by a few metal pipes.

Sources

• BBC News: Suspected sabotage causes major Netherlands rail disruption
• NL Times: Rail sabotage: Tubes tied to tracks in various locations; Collision near Steenwijk
• NL Times: Sabotage: More debris found as Dutch trains restart; Fires set along highways