19-year-old woman killed by train at closed Wijgmaal level crossing

Updated 18 August 2026 — A 19-year-old woman died at about 22:00 on Wednesday, 12 August, after a train struck her at the closed level crossing beside Wijgmaal station in Leuven, according to VRT NWS and La Libre. She had just left a train arriving from Leuven and was crossing the tracks when another train approached from the opposite direction.

VRT NWS reported that the driver of the approaching train applied the emergency brake but was unable to stop before the collision. The woman died at the scene. La Libre, Le Soir and 7sur7 separately reported the same fatal outcome and identified the location as Wijgmaal, a district north of central Leuven in Flemish Brabant.

According to VRT NWS, the crossing barriers remained closed when the woman entered the crossing. Reporting based on information from rail infrastructure manager Infrabel said she had stepped off a train that was still beside the platform. The second train then arrived on the other track. Authorities have not publicly identified the victim, and no verified account has established why she crossed before the signals and barriers cleared.

The accident again highlights the danger of crossing while warning systems remain active, especially at stations where a stopped train can obscure another service approaching on an adjacent track. Infrabel states in its public safety guidance that red lights, bells and barriers must be obeyed until the crossing fully reopens. Its published figures recorded 32 level-crossing accidents in Belgium in 2022, resulting in 11 deaths and two serious injuries.

The immediate impact was concentrated on the victim’s relatives, witnesses, the train driver and passengers using the line through Wijgmaal. Any disruption caused by the emergency response had ended by the time of this update, and current SNCB journey information no longer lists the accident as an active incident. No further official finding on the precise sequence of events has been published. Any follow-up will centre on the authorities’ reconstruction of the collision and whether Infrabel announces a review of the crossing or station access arrangements.