Level crossing removed in Cheratte: Daniel enrages all the more as the tunnel which replaces it is “regularly flooded”

Daniel contacted us via the orange Alert us button to denounce the installation by Infrabel of a new underpass at Cheratte, in the province of Liège. The problem according to him? The tunnel is too dark, poorly organized and regularly flooded. The inhabitants regret their old level crossing, much simpler, according to them. But Infrabel’s mission is to reinforce the safety of users, and this notably involves the elimination of level crossings. Eventually, the Belgian rail infrastructure manager hopes to remove as many as possible.

“Infrabel has built two underpasses with the aim of eliminating two level crossings. But since then, they have been regularly flooded”writes Daniel via our orange Alert us button.

This resident of Cheratte, in the province of Liège, is angry at the new tunnel which has replaced the level crossing near his home. “It was so easy before with the level crossing”he comments. “The population is really very angry. It may be good but we have to do it in another place. Here, we cut the village in two”adds Daniel.

“Me, if they were my children, they wouldn’t pass there. That’s clear!”exclaims Jacky, another local resident present during our filming.

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What do they reproach Infrabel for today? The dangerousness of the places. According to them, the tunnel is too dark and poorly organized with stairs that are much too steep and made of blue stone, which makes them slippery in rainy weather. “My mom, if she has to come by here to say hello to me, how does she do it? She lives 100 meters away as the crow flies. She was coming, she was crossing the level crossing and she was coming home. Now she doesn’t ‘dare more’explains Jacky. “And in winter, when will it be full of ice? The little children? We’re going to have accidents here. It’s very dangerous”launches in turn Daniel.

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Another problem: this underground passage is located below the level of the Meuse. And it is regularly flooded. The only solution, when it is impracticable, is then to make a detour of several hundred meters to reach the other side. A real hassle for part of the population. “Every time it rains, it’s flooded. We don’t know how to pass when it’s full of water. We have to go around and it’s a 1km detour on footlaments Daniel. The pumps would have to be running all the time to prevent it from flooding. It was not well studied, with a school right next door.”

Infrabel is not worried

But this situation does not worry Infrabel, accustomed to complaints for this kind of project. “It is very often unpopular because it changes the habits of the inhabitants. This is the reason why we strive to demonstrate pedagogy. The project is practically systematically presented to the residents concerned”develops Frédéric Sacré, the spokesperson for the Belgian rail infrastructure management company.

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Since 2005, the company has removed more than 400 level crossings across the entire rail network. Building alternatives has already cost nearly 500 million euros.

Infrabel’s objective? Strengthen security once morest reckless behavior. “We see that regarding 4 to 5 accidents out of 10, it’s a voluntary transgression. It’s someone who will start running when the barriers close”explains Frédéric Sacré. “About also 4 to 5 accidents out of 10, it is someone who will for example stop on the level crossing and then who will be blocked because there is a rise in line. And then, in one out of 10 cases, climatic phenomena intervene”continues the spokesperson.

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Level crossings cause one accident on average every week. And one dead or injured every month. Infrabel therefore hopes to eliminate as many as possible. There are now 1,700 left across the country.