AMSTERDAM — In the first of two dangerous incidents in three days, a train engineer escaped with the shock his life on Saturday when a steel pole smashed through the front window of his train. He escaped uninjured.

The pole was left hanging from barbed wire on a viaduct and the train engineer claims the culprit intended to kill someone. Police are also skeptical the incident was an accident, public news service NOS said.

Police said the object was a very large fencing pole. Due to the fact the first train between Nijmegen and Boxmeer collided with it on Saturday morning, it is believed that the pole was attached to the viaduct on Friday night.

Train traffic between the eastern cities of Nijmegen and Venlo was cancelled for several hours on Saturday and police started inquiries on Monday into the origin of the steel pole.

Meanwhile, a train engineer was treated in hospital for a minor eye injury on Monday morning after a train operating between Dordrecht and Lage Zwaluwe was hit by an unknown object.

It is possible that a brick was thrown against the train and railway police have launched an investigation. Passengers travelling in both directions between The Hague and Roosendaal were delayed for more than an hour.

Vandals also targeted the train line two weeks ago by placing foreign objects on the rails, resulting in a metal pole being driven through the underside of a train carriage.

Dutch rail operator NS has blamed the latest two incidents on “sick spirits” who not only endanger train engineers, but passengers as well.

In response to the incidents and other acts of vandalism, union FNV Bondgenoten set up on Monday a reporting point for similar incidents. It said the frequency and seriousness of vandalism incidents is increasing.

[Copyright Expatica News 2004]

Subject: Dutch news