Train driver killed as 99mph passenger train hits lorry in France

A train driver has died after his high-speed passenger service collided with a lorry at a level crossing in northern France while travelling at approximately 160 km/h (99 mph).

The crash occurred shortly before 07:00 local time (05:00 GMT) on Tuesday between Béthune and Lens in the Pas-de-Calais region. The train, which had departed Dunkirk for Paris, struck a lorry carrying military equipment. After impact, the train continued for several hundred metres before coming to a stop.

Local authorities reported 13 passengers sustained minor injuries, while two initially considered critical are now stable. The lorry driver, employed by a commercial haulier and not the military, is in police custody. Prosecutors have opened an investigation into aggravated manslaughter.

Residents near the site described hearing the train’s horn for up to 10 seconds before the collision. One witness told La Voix du Nord that the impact rattled windows half a kilometre away. Passengers reported broken windows and injuries from the sudden jolt, with some suffering broken noses.

Jean Castex, CEO of France’s state-owned rail operator SNCF and former prime minister, confirmed the driver was a 56-year-old veteran employee. “My first thoughts go to his family, his loved ones and colleagues,” he said, praising the two staff members on board who assisted passengers calmly after the crash.

Regional president Xavier Bertrand described the incident as a “terrible tragedy.” Castex added there was no indication of malfunction at the crossing, noting that a slower train had passed minutes earlier without issue.

Direct services between Béthune and Lens have been suspended until Thursday, with rerouted trains and significant delays across the Hauts-de-France regional network. Rail union SUD-Rail has called for “total transparency” in the investigation.

The collision comes less than two weeks after a fatal crash between a train and a truck in the Var region. While relatively rare compared to the UK, France records dozens of level crossing accidents annually. Official figures show 89 incidents in 2024, resulting in 20 deaths, compared with six in the UK. More than 100 collisions were recorded each year in France between 2021 and 2023.

Source: BBC