THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Dutch officials commenced a thorough investigation Tuesday following a suspected sabotage incident that disrupted the nation’s rail operations. This development surfaced as NATO leaders gathered in the Netherlands for a crucial two-day summit.
The probe was launched after a power failure, potentially caused by intentional damage, affected the primary train services at Schiphol Airport, crucially impacting travel to Amsterdam. Caretaker Justice Minister David van Weel addressed the NATO Public Forum, suggesting that the fire causing damage to approximately 30 rail cables could be deliberate.
Minister van Weel at a roundtable hinted at the range of possibilities regarding the origins of the incident, stating, “It could be an activist group. It could be another state. It could be anything.” This uncertainty further fueled urgent calls to bolster security around the summit location.
In response to the fire incident identified early Tuesday, operator ProRail confirmed the discovery of “considerable damage” to the cables. Consequently, train services from the airport to Amsterdam faced significant disruptions, although routes to The Hague, where the summit participants are headed, remained operational. Notably, summit leaders opted for motorcades along secured roads instead of train travel.
ProRail anticipated restoring normal rail service by early Tuesday evening, aiming to minimize inconvenience amidst heightened security measures. Concurrently, a robust security initiative named Operation Orange Shield has been activated, enveloping the World Forum summit venue in barriers and fences and bringing in extensive military and police deployment.
As part of what is being described as the largest-ever security effort in the Netherlands, around 27,000 police officers and an additional 10,000 defense personnel are mobilized to safeguard the 32 NATO leaders. Enhanced security measures include city lockdowns, road closures, and restricted airspace over the summit area.
Adding to these challenges, a series of cyberattacks targeted the summit. On Monday, a wave of denial-of-service assaults disrupted several municipal and organizational networks associated with the NATO summit. According to the National Cybersecurity Center, a pro-Russian hackers’ group named NoName057(16) claimed responsibility for many of these intrusions, with motives allegedly aligned with pro-Russian ideologies.
The sabotage threat is reminiscent of an arson attack on France’s high-speed rail network last July, ahead of the Paris Olympic Games opening ceremony. Those coordinated attacks, however, aimed at disabling rail connections to the capital by targeting signaling cables at remote locations.