Whoever was behind it attached pipes, tubes, and other debris to sections of track, which interfered with rail switches. Signal lights were also tricked into showing red. The result was that large parts of the railway across the central, eastern, and northern regions of the country came to a standstill.



Who Was Detained and What Police Say
The suspects are a 49-year-old man and a 41-year-old woman, both from the province of Drenthe. According to police, they are suspected of passing on information at a meeting about how a disruption like the one on September 15 could be carried out on the railway.

Police have not said how the pair were identified.

They did say that the domestic intelligence service AIVD helped out when the case first began. Both suspects were let go after questioning, but they remain under suspicion. Investigators admitted they don't yet have enough evidence to bring them before an examining magistrate, who would decide whether they could be held for up to two weeks before an arraignment at a district court.



From the start, experts believed the people responsible knew the rail system well. Jorn Pruntel of railway contractor ASSET Rail said the job was done with great skill and needed plenty of specialist knowledge. He added that those involved most likely wanted to cripple the network on purpose.

Mirjam van Velthuizen, CEO of rail management firm ProRail, made a similar point soon after .