- By Marita Moloney
- BBC News
19 minutes ago
Image source, Getty Images
picture description,
A badger (file image)
Badgers burrowing under railroad tracks have wreaked havoc on train services in the Netherlands, causing breakdowns and route closures.
Trains in the north and south of the country were affected, with some trains grounded for at least a week.
The stretch between Den Bosch and Boxtel in the south was closed on Tuesday after mammals burrowed under the tracks.
Officials said it wasn’t clear how long the problem would last as badgers are a protected species.
John Voppen, CEO of ProRail – the company that maintains the Dutch rail network – said it was the second time in a week that the service had been suspended due to badger activity.
He said tackling the issue could take a long time because train operators needed permission to move the animals or disturb their habitat.
An inspection in recent days showed the badgers had been much more actively digging, with direct consequences for the safety of the tracks, ProRail said.
The digging meant the tracks could sag, threatening the safety of rail travel, he added.
The Den Bosch-Boxtel-Eindhoven route is an important connection between north and south, and passenger and freight trains on the route will be affected until at least next Tuesday.
Earlier this month in the north, badgers also dug under the railway tracks near Molkwerum in the province of Friesland, resulting in operations on one line being suspended until next month.
Railway workers plan to build a sandy mound where the badgers can dig their houses.
Mr Voppen said ProRail is in emergency talks with the Ministry of Infrastructure following the shutdowns.
“Coexistence with the badger is quite an enigma for ProRail,” the company says on its website, adding that the goal is to ensure “safe train operations and a thriving badger.”