Trains in the east of Flanders have been majorly disrupted on Wednesday morning after a dead body was found next to the tracks in the municipality of Kessel (just outside the City of Antwerp).
Rail traffic between Herentals and Lier (both in the Antwerp province) is at a standstill in both directions, which has a major impact on the line between Antwerp, Limburg and the Kempen region.
As the Antwerp line is highly frequented, however, the impact can be felt in large parts of Flanders.
"There is a lot of disruption because no train traffic at all is allowed there at the moment. The exact conditions obviously need to be investigated. Until that is clear, no traffic will be allowed," Thomas Baeken of rail operator Infrabel told VRT.
The body was found by a train driver around 06:00 on Wednesday. The court is currently investigating the circumstances of the incident, and Belgian railway company SNCB is providing replacement buses for passengers.
"The body was found at a major railway junction where several railway lines converge. Especially people from the Limburg province and the Kempen region who need to get to or from Antwerp can expect a lot of inconveniences."
The disruption will likely last the entire morning, said Baeken. "We know from experience that, on average, rail traffic can be shut down for three to five hours because of the investigation that needs to be conducted."
