Rail infrastructure management company distributes images of woman with pram crossing track while level crossing gates are closed

A woman pushing a pram crossed over the track at the closed level crossing. A few minutes later a motorcycle did the same. Infrabel is shocked by the images.

Infrabel’s spokesman Frédéric Petit says that images of the woman with the pram give him goosebumps. The train passes through just moments later. “It begs belief. This could have ended very much worse, two people could have been killed”.

There was hardly any time at all between the moment that the woman and her baby crossed and the train racing by. "The train driver did not see anything untoward at the crossing and he wouldn’t have had time to perform an emergency stop."

Over the years Infrabel has launched many campaigns to make the people aware of the dangers of walking on railway tracks. The latest campaign was launched just last month.   

Frédéric Petit told VRT News that "We have a clear strategy. We are phasing out level crossings and replacing them with alternatives (such as bridges and tunnels), we run public awareness campaigns, the police carry out checks and there are strict penalties, but the bottom line is that people need to respect of the highway code. It is not difficult. At a red light, you have to stop."

Figures show that the campaigns are helping. The number of accidents at level crossings fell in 2023, and there were also fewer track walkers reported than in 2022. Nevertheless, delays to train services due to accidents and track walkers did increase.

In Wetteren there are already plans to replace the level crossing where the two incidents happened with a bridge.