That says Graeme Smits (36) to RTL News. He was on a train that was searched by police tonight because one person had “made troubling statements.”
Two suspects arrested
Due to that calamity, Utrecht Centraal had been evacuated for more than an hour and train traffic was stopped. The police now reports that two suspects have been arrested.
–
–
Graeme was on the intercity from Utrecht to The Hague, which should have departed from platform 9 at 6.28 pm. “But we still hadn’t left at 6.35 pm. I was looking on my mobile so I didn’t realize anything at first, until I suddenly saw three police officers on the train coming in. Several officers were also walking on the platform. “
To another train
Annette van Soest confirms this (see photo below). She was also on the same intercity. “The train should have left a long time ago, but we just did not leave. Suddenly I saw several police officers entering the train. They have combed through the entire train,” she says.
“After a while they came back into our compartment. Via the intercom it was announced that we had to leave the train and that we could board another intercity, on the opposite platform 8. We did that, everyone went on that train. “
–
–
Doors locked
Graeme also moved to the other train. “Once we were in there, the doors closed. At a certain point someone wanted to open the doors again, but that didn’t work. Then it was announced that there was a technical malfunction and that the train would not leave”, says Graeme.
Annette and Greame spent at least 50 minutes in the train, without knowing what was going on. “Then I tweeted to NS Online”, says Annette. “People were really worried, we had no idea what was going on.”
Graeme also contacted the NS via the app. You can read that conversation below:
–
–
Automatic weapons and bumper
The fact that the passengers could not get out of the train and did not know what was going on caused some unrest. “And suddenly we saw on the information boards on the platforms in red the message that everyone had to leave the station immediately by order of the police,” says Annette.
–
–
At about the same time, three officers stormed into Graeme’s compartment, he says. “They were heavily armed with automatic weapons and ran through the train with a bumper.”
‘Hands up!’
“When they entered our compartment, they shouted, ‘Keep calm and put your hands up!’ I dropped my mobile phone from my hands, a little further on a woman started to cry with shock. One of the officers then tried to calm her. “
Moments later, the doors of the train opened and Annette and Graeme were able to leave. “We all had to leave the train through the front,” says Annette. “No one was checked when we walked out.”
‘Exciting to experience’
Graeme: “Officers in normal uniforms stood on the platform and said that I had to go to the station hall via the nearest escalator. I crawled under the ribbon and walked out, there were quite a lot of people behind a ribbon. applauded some friends and waited for the station to be released. I am now back on the train to The Hague. “
Whether he is shocked? “I stay calm, but it was exciting to experience. In any case, I have gained another experience.”
–
–
