Rail service at Utrecht Centraal halted after protesters block tracks; No end time set

Train traffic to and from Utrecht Centraal was fully suspended Saturday after Extinction Rebellion activists occupied railway tracks at two locations inside the station, with authorities saying it is not yet known how long the disruption will last. Utrecht Centraal is the Netherlands’ busiest rail station and a central hub in the national rail network for both passenger and cargo traffic.

Around 1:30 p.m. Saturday, roughly 20 activists entered the tracks in two separate groups, according to an ANP reporter on site. The action immediately forced Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) to halt all rail traffic in and out of Utrecht Centraal.

The protesters carried a banner stating, “Genocide does not belong on the rails." The group stated that the demonstration is against the Dutch government's Israel policy.

The municipality of Utrecht had previously said the action would not be permitted and that police, under direction of the Public Prosecution Service, would act against any attempt to block the railway.

Police officers gathered in large numbers at the scene. Authorities said they would only intervene once it was considered safe to do so.