Parts of the Netherlands, including Amsterdam, have been hit by major rail disruption after suspected sabotage to the tracks, the country's railway operator has said. Because nothing says "efficient Dutch infrastructure" like someone deliberately planting pipes on the tracks.

ProRail warned that passengers in the country's centre and north should expect cancellations and delays on Tuesday, while the closure of some level crossings could cause disruption to roads. So, to recap: trains are broken, roads are clogged, and the culprit is... metal pipes. Very sophisticated.

Pipes were attached to 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". As opposed to the accidental kind, presumably caused by particularly ambitious beavers.

It added that no suspects or motives had been identified, but the national police unit was investigating. The BBC has contacted police for comment. So far, no one has claimed responsibility, leaving us to speculate wildly about who benefits from mild-to-moderate rail chaos.

The network's website showed that at least 15 disruptions had been recorded across the country on Tuesday, with routes to the main international airport, Schiphol, and Utrecht also affected. Because if you're going to sabotage a rail network, you might as well inconvenience people trying to catch flights, too.

A Eurostar train from Amsterdam to Paris was delayed due to "operational restrictions" at Amsterdam Centraal on Tuesday, although it was not clear if this was linked to wider disruption. The BBC has contacted Eurostar for comment. Eurostar, for its part, is probably just happy to have someone else to blame for once.

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". Ah yes, the classic "materials deliberately placed on tracks" technique - a bold strategy that definitely doesn't scream "we have no idea who did this or why".

Footage published by Dutch public broadcaster NOS on Tuesday showed police carrying what appeared to be metal pipes - about 1.5 metres (5ft) long - 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. So, the pipes: 1, trains: 0, but at least everyone's okay. Small victories.

The 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. Because why have one mysterious rail sabotage incident when you can have two?

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. Translation: we have no idea, but please don't panic. Or do. We're not your dad.