A train collided with a tractor at the railway crossing at the Spoorzicht café in Staphorst. Train traffic between Meppel and Zwolle will be at a standstill for the rest of Saturday evening.
It appears that there were no casualties in the collision. According to bystanders, no one was on the tractor when the train drove over it. The front of the tractor that was hit by the train is completely in the creases.
Investigation by police and fire department
Police and firefighters are investigating the accident. They can already report that the tractor stopped at the level crossing due to a technical defect. The fire service officer says that there were two people on the tractor at the time. They managed to get out in time.
The accident then occurred with the train coming from Zwolle. The train was slightly damaged and is still upright on the track, but cannot continue. No overhead line was damaged and the train’s roughly 400 passengers are also unharmed.
No trains in the Northern Netherlands
According to the NS, no trains will run between Zwolle and Meppel station until midnight. This also has consequences for trains to and from Leeuwarden and Groningen. That railway line goes past Meppel.