This is what we now know about the accident in which a train cut a bus in half

It is ten to ten in the morning when things go wrong at the level crossing on the Marconilaan. A Connexxion bus comes to a stop in the middle of the track while the intercity arrives, which is on its way from Roosdendaal to Bergen op Zoom station.

The driver (67) flees his bus when the barriers go down. He tries to warn the oncoming train, but a collision is inevitable. The train pierces the bus which breaks into two pieces. A lot of sparks come from the overhead wires caused by the flying debris.

havoc
The collision wreaks havoc. The impact caused the bus to explode and was partly dragged along by the train. Little is left of the railway crossing. Both the road and the railway are strewn with debris from the bus and level crossing.

Emergency services flock to the accident, but no one was injured. The bus was not carrying any passengers and the driver managed to escape in time. According to the NS, the train driver is ‘extremely shocked’, but, like all passengers, remains unharmed. They are removed from the train by the fire brigade and transported further.

Soon, motorists waiting at the level crossing share bizarre images of the accident. The videos are spectacular and show how big the blow is. Some passengers also filmed the crash and told their story.

Technical issues
Since no one was injured, the police investigation into the cause of the accident can soon begin. “The driver says he entered the level crossing when the traffic lights were green,” the police said. “The bus came to a halt at the transition due to technical problems.”

The bus driver is now officially seen as a suspect. But the police say they will not question him until the results of the cause of the collision are known. First, trace evidence must be done at the scene of the accident. The bus will also undergo a technical inspection.

no trains
A first estimate by ProRail is that no trains will be able to run on the route for at least three days due to all the damage. The NS will use replacement bus transport until everything has been completed. According to ProRail, the entire level crossing installation is broken. “You see the bells, lamps and poles on the ground, that all needs to be repaired.”

Technicians will check the track and all cables once the police investigation is complete. “We have to find out what was and what was not hit. Furthermore, we do not yet know what is under the two pieces of bus,” says ProRail. There are also concerns about overhead wires. Although it still hangs neatly, that does not mean that it is undamaged.

ProRail says it will not know until Tuesday morning at the earliest how extensive the damage is and when trains can run again between Bergen op Zoom and Roosendaal.