Transport in an EU nation is under danger from badgers.

Trains in the southern Netherlands were halted on Tuesday afternoon after it was discovered that badgers had been digging under the tracks, jeopardizing passenger safety. ProRail is now in the process of obtaining a permit to relocate the animals, but has complained that the application is taking too long. The line connecting the cities of Den Bosch and Boxtel is expected to be out of service for at least a week, according to the company. Badgers are a protected species in the Netherlands, meaning that rail operators need special permission to move or disturb their habitats. ProRail CEO John Voppen has appealed to the authorities to speed up the procedure so that normal rail services can be resumed as soon as possible.

The repairs include the restoration of the track itself as well as the subsoil, and workers are suggesting ways to deter badgers from digging into earthen dikes. However, more measures are needed, and the badgers must leave their current burrow and not come back there either.