A devastating accident occurred early Tuesday morning in northern France when a high-speed passenger train struck a lorry carrying military equipment at a level crossing. The collision resulted in the tragic death of the train’s driver.
The incident took place between the towns of Béthune and Lens in the Pas-de-Calais region. Several other individuals sustained injuries. French media reports indicate that two passengers were in critical condition, with an additional eleven people suffering minor injuries following the impact.
Xavier Bertrand, the President of the Hauts-de-France region, confirmed the train driver’s death, characterizing the event as a “terrible tragedy.” He expressed his condolences on the social media platform X to the driver’s family, loved ones, and colleagues at the rail service.
Philippe Tabarot, the French Transport Minister, stated his intention to visit the accident site. He would be accompanied by the head of SNCF, the national state-owned railway company. Tabarot specified that the collision involved a heavy goods vehicle. News outlet Franceinfo further reported that the lorry involved had been transporting military equipment, citing a local official who indicated the incident occurred just before 7:00 AM local time (5:00 AM GMT).
The affected train had been en route from Dunkirk to Paris. The regional rail network, TER Hauts-de-France, announced that rail traffic between Béthune and Lens would experience disruptions throughout the morning. Services on several lines were expected to resume gradually.
The BBC has reached out to SNCF for an official statement. Jean Castex, who led France as Prime Minister from July 2020 to May 2022 and currently serves as the CEO of SNCF, had not yet made a public comment on the incident.
However, a rail union, SUD-Rail, has publicly called for complete transparency regarding the circumstances of the collision. This incident occurs less than two weeks after another fatal rail accident in the southeastern Var region, where a collision between a regional train and a truck claimed a life.
Level Crossing Incidents in France
While collisions at level crossings are comparatively uncommon in France, they occur more frequently than in the United Kingdom. Official figures reveal that in 2024, France recorded 89 such incidents, which resulted in 20 fatalities. In contrast, the UK reported only six incidents during the same period. Between 2021 and 2023, France saw over 100 level crossing collisions annually.