ProRail delayed and briefly stopped train traffic between Meppel and Hoogeveen yesterday for a few hours

To bring a stray cat and her two kittens to safety, ProRail delayed and briefly stopped train traffic between Meppel and Hoogeveen for a few hours yesterday. Rail workers, together with animal ambulances, placed cages along the track to capture the animals. The rescue operation was initiated by train driver Jos van der Veen.

He drove from Groningen to Meppel yesterday around 9:30 am and saw a number of jet black kittens along the track. "They really walked along the rails, he says at RTV Drenthe. "But what do you do then? Dangerous situation If sheep or cows are walking right along the track, the instructions are clear: as a driver you call the traffic controller to stop train traffic.

After all, a dangerous situation can arise. The consequences of a collision with kittens are much smaller. Nevertheless, Van der Veen reported the incident to traffic control.

Animal ambulance When the driver drove back towards Groningen a little later, he saw ProRail with several vans and people standing along the track. The animal ambulance was also present. Together they placed cages.

Because the cats then walked very close to the track and also crossed it, it was decided to stop train traffic completely. A short time later, the trains were allowed to run again, but at an adjusted speed. Soft meowing Around 12.30 pm, so three hours after the first report, we managed to catch one of the kittens. The soft meowing of the kitten, possibly combined with the smell of cat food in the decoy cages, led to the mother cat and the other kitten also approaching a little later.