# Two arrested over September rail sabotage, then released

> A man and a woman from Drenthe remain suspects in the investigation into the sabotage that disrupted train services across large parts of the Netherlands on 15 September; rail manager ProRail says it does not know them.

Society · published 2026-11-13 10:55 · updated 2026-11-14 04:32 · https://nlnow.nl/a/two-arrested-over-september-rail-sabotage-then-released/

Police arrested a 49-year-old man and a 41-year-old woman from the Drenthe area on Thursday as part of the investigation into the rail sabotage on Prinsjesdag, 15 September. The Openbaar Ministerie (OM, the Public Prosecution Service) announced the arrests on Friday. Both were released the same day but remain suspects.

The OM suspects the two of telling people at a meeting how to cause rail disruption like that of 15 September. The OM said the suspicion is not serious enough to keep them in custody. They are the first people arrested in the case.

On Prinsjesdag there were dozens of acts of sabotage on the railway. Objects were placed on the tracks in several places, and train services across large parts of the country were disrupted.

The OM calls the case "a complex investigation, with dozens of different crime scenes" and says it has used a range of investigative methods over the past two months. Police and the OM are looking for witnesses. Anyone who saw something or knows more about the incidents is asked to contact the police.

Prime Minister Rob Jetten condemned the sabotage as disruptive and life-threatening.

A ProRail spokesperson said that, as far as the company knows, the two suspects are not acquaintances of the rail manager.

## Background

- **OM (Openbaar Ministerie)**: The Public Prosecution Service, which decides whether suspects are prosecuted and brings criminal cases to court.
- **Prinsjesdag**: Prinsjesdag is the third Tuesday of September, the day the Dutch parliamentary year opens. The King delivers the Troonrede (King's Speech) in the Ridderzaal in The Hague, outlining the government's plans for the coming year. The government also presents its budget proposals to parliament on the same day, in the Miljoenennota.

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