Near Contish, two trains were halted for hours due to a fault on the overhead line. About a hundred passengers were evacuated by emergency services. “Problems on the track happen every day, but this was very severe,” says one of the affected train passengers.
Martin Van Camp, 56, imagined his afternoon differently when he boarded the train in Geel at noon. On the way to his destination, his train stopped near Kontich for more than three hours. Reason: Fault in the upper line.
“Having problems on the track is almost a daily occurrence,” he says. “But this was too extreme. I lost half a day. And because the electricity wasn't working, it was very cold on the train. But I don't want to blame the staff. It's not their fault that they often have to work with worn-out materials. These kinds of problems arise in many “Often. Politicians should investigate this matter.”
The collapse also dealt a strong blow to student Zeina Obaidi (20 years old). She had an innovation management exam in Mechelen at 3 p.m. But delays along the way made it impossible for her to be there. “It's a shame, because I studied well,” she says. “Fortunately, the school understands the situation and I can catch up with the exam later. But of course I would have preferred to do it today.”
By bus to the station
“The evacuation operation began at 4:20 p.m. and ended around 5 p.m. “The passengers who were on the two trains were taken by bus to Mechelen station, where they could transfer to a new train,” says Infrabel, which announced that the movement of trains between Mechelen And Lier will remain disconnected until the end of the day.
Because of these problems, train traffic between Mechelen and Leer was temporarily stopped. Train services to Antwerp are experiencing delays or being diverted. NMBS advises travelers between Mechelen and Lier to take the route via Antwerp-Berchem. IC trains from Charleroi Central to Brussels and Antwerp Central stop exceptionally at Mortsel-Oude God.
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