Three coastal trams derailed in less than 24 hours
No fewer than three coastal trams have derailed in the past 24 hours. On Monday, six people were slightly injured when a coastal tram derailed in Nieuwpoort, and around the same time, a tram also derailed in Zeebrugge. A day earlier, on Sunday evening, a coastal tram also ended up off the tracks in Blankenberge. Public transport operator De Lijn will investigate the incidents.
At 11.15 am today, the local fire brigade was called to an accident in Nieuwpoort-Bad. A tram had derailed in a bend, with part of the tram ending up next to the tracks, but the vehicle did not overturn. Six people suffered minor injuries and were taken to the hospital. Around thirty other passengers were temporarily accommodated but were eventually able to continue their journey on replacement buses.
A tram also derailed in Zeebrugge around noon today. It is still unclear exactly how that coastal tram ended up next to the tracks. According to De Lijn, no one was injured in the incident. However, it did cause disruption to tram services.
On Sunday, a tram also ended up next to the tracks in Blankenberge. The vehicle could not be hoisted until Monday morning.
It is not yet clear how three trams could derail in such a short period of time. According to De Lijn, this is probably a coincidental series of similar incidents. “But we still have to investigate exactly what happened,” spokesperson Marco Demerling of De Lijn told VRT NWS.
#FlandersNewsService | Illustration © PHOTO ARTERRA
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