Suspected sabotage causes major Netherlands rail disruption

Parts of the Netherlands, including Amsterdam, have been hit by major rail disruption after suspected sabotage to the tracks, the country's railway infrastructure operator has said.

A spokesperson for operator ProRail told the BBC disruption was not yet over but services were gradually recovering, after widespread cancellations and delays in the country's centre and north on Tuesday.

Pipes and cables were placed on the tracks in multiple locations, according to local media. In a statement, ProRail said the incident appeared to be "an intentional disruption... caused by human action".

It added that no suspects or motives had been identified. Police said a criminal investigation had been launched.

"Objects were found on railway tracks at several locations across the country, causing major disruption to rail traffic," Dutch police said in a statement.

The national public prosecutor's office and the Netherlands' intelligence agency AIVD is investigating the incident alongside police.

Routes to the main international airport, Schiphol, Eindhoven and Utrecht were among those affected on Tuesday, with the network saying that 30 disruptions had been reported across the country.

The closure of some level crossing also caused some disruption to roads.

"At some locations, multiple reports were received. We removed items that had been found on the tracks, but later received another report of a fault at the same location," ProRail added.

Train operator Nederlandse Spoorwegen earlier said that disruption was so extensive it was "not possible" to provide a bus replacement service.

In an update on Tuesday afternoon it said train service was gradually resuming but with some delays and cancellations.

A Eurostar train from Amsterdam to Paris was earlier delayed due to "operational restrictions" at Amsterdam Centraal, but the company said it was not impacted by the wider disruption in the Netherlands.

ProRail said in a statement: "Materials were found at multiple locations in the track that were deliberately placed there. This causes section malfunctions. Sabotage appears to be involved".

In an update at lunchtime on Tuesday, Netherlands Police said officers remained at impacted sites and were in close contact with ProRail to ensure train lines were "reopened for use as quickly as possible".

Footage published by Dutch public broadcaster NOS on Tuesday showed police carrying what appeared to be metal pipes - about 1.5 metres (5ft) long - and cables away from railway tracks at Veenendaal in the central Netherlands.

One train in the city of Steenwijk struck one of the objects, ProRail said, but added there were no injuries as a result.

Separately, hay bales were lit on fire along various roads across the Netherlands in the afternoon, after Farmers Defence Force (FDF) - a group aimed at defending the interests of Dutch farmers and farm workers - said protests would take place.

The FDF said it was not responsible for the railway sabotage, but said it could not rule out the involvement of individual farmers.

Tuesday is Prinsjesdag in the Netherlands - the day the government presents its budget. Authorities have not established a link with protests taking place on the same day.

The rail disruption in the Netherlands came after separate reports in French media suggested a derailment in Normandy on Friday could have been an act of sabotage.

According to prosecutors, a section of rail found on the track may have caused the crash. But France's interior minister Laurent Nunez has urged caution while an investigation is ongoing, saying that authorities are pursuing all leads.