Quick-thinking Belgium train driver narrowly avoids "catastrophe" after car driven onto railway tracks

A quick-thinking train driver narrowly avoided a major "catastrophe" after a motorist is believed to have put his car in the wrong gear - and drove onto railway tracks. It is understood on December 8 the motorist selected a forward gear while trying to reverse out of a parking space and lurched onto the tracks.

Video shows the vehicle stationary in the train's path in Sint-Katelijne-Waver, Belgium. Train conductor Aytam El Ghandour, 33, was on the service between Antwerp and Brussels, when the car crashed onto the tracks. Aytam said the train driver had to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting the vehicle.

There were no injuries and all the passengers were evacuated and transferred to another train line. However, trains were stationary for more than two hours while the car was removed from the tracks and safety checks were performed.

Aytam, from Brussels, said: "People get onto the tracks quite often, but I've never seen a car do this. The driver stopped immediately and we had to get everybody off the train. I'm very proud of the driver it could have been a catastrophe."

According to Aytam, the car had been parked in a car park near the platform and the driver accidentally put his car in first gear. Aytam said: "The car was driven by a middle-aged man. No one knew whether he had been drinking.

"Local media said he was sick, which is why he crashed. The police's theory was that he tried to reverse, but put the car in first gear instead. After two hours of evacuating the passengers I had to leave, the car was still there when I did, and no trains had moved."