Shocking footage of a car driving on a railway line just before a train was due to arrive has been released by Infrabel, the organisation responsible for running Belgium’s rail network.
The footage, released on Infrabel’s Instagram page, shows a car driving along a railway line in Mouscron, Wallonia. The car turns left off the railway track and into a road, through a closed level crossing. A train can be seen approaching in the opposite direction.
The images date from 16 December. According to VRT, Infrabel has contacted the police on the matter and wished to highlight the incident to raise public awareness and warn people against trespassing on the railway.
"We will hand over the images to the police and file a complaint against an unknown person. We hope that this will allow us to find his license plate and bring the driver to justice," a spokesperson told the news organisation.
"The driver likely used another level crossing to access the tracks, but we are continuing our efforts to trace his route. This is not easy, as not all level crossings are equipped with cameras."
Infrabel warned that such behaviour is “extremely dangerous” and reminded people that trespassing on railway tracks is punishable by heavy fines and can lead to the suspension of a driver's license.
An Infrabel representative told Het Laastse Nieuws that he had never seen anything like it” in his 14-year career.
