In Essen (Antwerp Province), a woman accompanied by two children was seen calmly crossing a closed railway crossing when the barriers were down. Images of this serious offence are now circulating on social media. Local police are investigating the incident, and railtrack operator Infrabel is once again calling on people never to cross the tracks when the barriers are down and the lights are on red. ‘This is extremely dangerous’ a spokesman warned.
Woman walks across closed railway crossing with two children: "They were not even hurrying” (VIDEO)
Colin Clapson
Published:
The images of the incident are on video-sharing website YouTube and have been eagerly shared on social media for several days. ‘We have also seen them and, of course, we disapprove of this behaviour,’ says Arno Falque of railway operator Infrabel.
It is also striking that the three do not seem to be in any hurry. ‘The woman calmly walks across the tracks with two children. That is extremely dangerous and can also have a major impact on punctuality if safety measures have to be taken and trains are delayed as a result.’
Call 1711
In response to the incident, Infrabel reiterates its call never to cross a level crossing when the barriers are down. ‘Always observe red lights, bell signals and closed barriers,’ says Falque.
‘If you witness trespassing on the railway tracks, call the toll-free number 1711. In that way, we can take the necessary action.’
Investigation into origin of video footage
Essen police are now trying to determine the origin of the video footage. It may have been taken with a camera from a car waiting at the crossing. ‘We will then see if we can track down the offenders,’ says spokesperson Patrick De Smedt.