![](\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/78\/590x\/secondary\/The-incident-happened-in-Belgium-earlier-this-month-5117943.jpg?r=1702659254132\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
A quick-thinking train driver narrowly avoided a major “catastrophe” after a motorist allegedly put his car in the wrong gear – and drove onto railway tracks.<\/p>\n
It is believed the motorist selected a forward gear while trying to reverse out of a parking space and lurched onto the tracks.<\/p>\n
Video shows the vehicle stationary in the train’s path in Sint-Katelijne-Waver, Belgium.<\/p>\n
Train conductor Aytam El Ghandour, 33, was on the service between Antwerp and Brussels, when the car crashed onto the tracks.<\/p>\n
READ MORE: <\/strong> EU heartland under threat as Belgium named among most dangerous countries<\/strong><\/p>\n Aytam said the train driver had to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting the vehicle.<\/p>\n There were no injuries and all the passengers were evacuated and transferred to another train line.<\/p>\n Trains were stationary for more than two hours while the car was removed from the tracks and safety checks were performed.<\/p>\n Aytam, from Brussels, said: “People get onto the tracks quite often, but I’ve never seen a car do this.<\/p>\n “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.”<\/p>\n According to Aytam said the car had been parked in a car park near the platform and the driver accidentally put his car in first gear.<\/p>\n Aytam said: “The car was driven by a middle-aged man. No one knew whether he had been drinking.<\/p>\n “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.<\/p>\n “After two hours of evacuating the passengers I had to leave, the car was still there when I did, and no trains had moved.”<\/p>\n The incident happened December 8.<\/p>\n\n