NS is the principal passenger railway operator in the Netherlands. Credit: Pixabay.

Trains operated by Dutch rail operator Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) were halted across the country on Sunday as a result of a technical glitch.

The national railway operator issued an advisory, which stated that no trains will operate for ‘at least’ five hours due to an undefined technical issue, reported Reuters.

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NS spokesman Erik Kroeze said that the issue was in a planning software system and there are no clues that it was due to a cyberattack, stated ABC News.

According to a statement posted on its website, the rail operator asked passengers to look for alternative means of travelling.

“We are working hard on a recovery but, alas, we cannot now say how long this situation will persist,” reported Reuters citing the statement.

The rail operator also noted that regional trains were still running but it is unable to provide precise schedules for them.

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In 2017, NS announced that its entire fleet of electric trains started operating on 100% renewable wind power.

The sustainable initiative was undertaken by the rail operator to cut down its environmental footprint in the country.

NS, which is the principal passenger railway operator in the Netherlands, is said to be the third busiest rail network after Switzerland and Japan.

By operating 4,800 scheduled domestic trains per day, the rail network serves 1.1 million passengers. It also offers international rail services from the Netherlands to other European cities.