National rail operator SNCB is investigating how the train left the platform on its own | Laurent Dubrule/EPA Runaway Belgian train travels for 30 minutes with no driver

An empty train traveled for 30 minutes through eastern Belgium without a driver Thursday night, before another driver climbed on board and stopped it.

National rail operator SNCB is investigating how the train left the platform at Landen on its own, after the driver got out to inspect a suspected engine fault. He then alerted colleagues who switched signals to give the train interrupted passage on the westbound line towards Louvain.

"While the driver was inspecting the train it suddenly took off at slow speed, leaving him behind,” an SNCB spokesperson said. "The train was going very slowly, the platform was clear and the station at Tirlemont (where the train was heading) had been evacuated, so no passengers were ever put in danger."

"One of our drivers was able to jump in the driver's cabin around 9:30 p.m. to stop the train," SNCB said.

The train had traveled around 7.5 miles.

Landen is roughly a 50-minute train ride from Brussels (with a driver).

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