The rail infrastructure management company Infrabel has released CCTV footage of a motorist filmed driving their car on a rail track in the town of Mouscron, in Hainaut Province. The car drove on the track just moments before a train passed through. Infrabel has passed the footage on to the police and has lodged a complaint against the as yet unidentified motorist.
The incident dates from 16 December. The motorist is seen driving on the track towards a level crossing. A train is coming in the opposite direction, albeit at a snail’s pace. The car drives onto the level crossing and then turns onto the road.
Infrabel’s Thomas Baeken told VRT News that “You might laugh when you see this, but it is totally unacceptable. In the 14 years that I have been working here, it’s the first time I have ever seen something like this. We are dumb founded”.
Film passed on to the police
It is still unclear how the car ended up on the track. "Probably the driver got onto the track from another level crossing. We are still working hard to try and trace the motorist’s path. This is not an easy task as not every level crossing is equipped with cameras”.
Infrabel has enlisted the help of the police to help them trace the errant motorist.
"We are going to give the footage to the police and we are also going to lodge a complaint against persons unknown. Hopefully the number can be identified and the driver brought to book.”
Infrabel has distributed the footage to raise awareness and show that this kind of behaviour is unacceptable. “Never do this, it is extremely dangerous”, Thomas Baeken says. Driving on a railway track carries heavy fines and can result in the disqualification for driving.