Two people have been injured and rail traffic is delayed after a high-speed train collided with the trailer of a tractor on a level crossing. The Eurostar between London and Brussels is also affected.
An InOui TGV high-speed train travelling from Lille to Brussels collided with the trailer of a stationary tractor on a level crossing near Tournai at around 08:00 on Tuesday morning, national rail infrastructure company Infrabel confirmed to The Brussels Times.
"The tractor was stationary on a level crossing," spokesperson Britt Monten said. "It is not yet clear why it had stopped here. The train then collided with the trailer." The train, which was travelling on the slower line 94 rather than the high-speed line 1 due to ongoing works, was not travelling at full speed, but the tractor-trailer was still dragged over a long distance.
Around 120 passengers that were on board the train have been evacuated. "We are now working on removing the trailer from the track. Only then can we see what the damage is," Monten explained. "For now, the damage is unknown."
Train traffic disrupted
Trains that usually pass on railway line 94, linking the towns of Tournai and Halle, have been interrupted indefinitely.
Eurostar confirmed to The Brussels Times that, although the train involved in the accident did not belong to the company, the incident is causing delays to its network. "Eurostar trains travelling Brussels, London and Amsterdam will be disrupted all day," a spokesperson said. "We have already confirmed some cancellations while for some other connections, the situation may still change throughout the day."
Passengers booked on a train on Tuesday have been asked to travel another day if possible. "They can cancel or change their trip for free." The Eurostar (formerly Thalys) route between Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris and Cologne is not impacted.
Infrabel is trying to redirect trains to minimise the impact on high-speed trains.
Meanwhile, the emergency services are already at the scene. The farmer, who could leave his vehicle before the impact, was not injured. However, according to the Wallonie Picarde emergency area, two occupants of the train were injured, one of them seriously.
This article will be updated as new information is provided.
