Belgian transport minister decried a blogger for riding on a paved path along the future railway line. Le Soir reported on Thursday (7 July) that a cyclist had been riding on the path intended for the future regional express network (RER). Both Infrabel, the infrastructure manager of the railways in Belgium, and the minister of mobility François Bellot disapproved his act.
Lionel Dricot, also known as Ploum, wrote about his 16 km long bike ride along the RER on his blog. Infrabel has threatened legal action if the text was not removed from the web, since the use of the lines under RER construction is illegal and cold incite people to do the same which is "extremely dangerous”.
François Bellot (MR) also expressed strong reservations. “Security is non-negotiable. A cyclist could easily be hit by a train or injured because of the suction effect," his office said.
Infrabel informs that it is laying extra tracks on the major railway lines around Brussels. Capacity on the RER lines will double from two to four tracks, so that direct rail traffic is completely separated from slower local train traffic. RER aims to improve public transport within a 30-kilometre radius of the capital.
The Brussels Times (Source: Belga)
