The question is somewhat unusual, albeit based on real life events. On 2 January 2023 a pet cat escaped its carrier at Montparnasse station in Paris, hiding underneath a high-speed train which was due to depart. The cat’s owner and her daughter spent 20 minutes begging staff to help, before they were forced to watch as their beloved pet Neko was crushed by the moving train.
In response to RTL, CFL declared their trains would not be permitted to depart if staff were aware of an animal becoming trapped underneath. In the event a person or an object falls on to the tracks, CFL staff should be made aware immediately. Passengers are advised to make use of the emergency terminals on the platform. In emergency situations, passengers can also contact 113, as the emergency hotline will be able to establish direct contact with the CFL operations centre and launch the required processes.
In order to extract the trapped animal, specialist employees would be deployed by the control centre to go down to the railway tracks in protective clothing and footwear. In the event that CFL employees cannot rescue the animal, the fire brigade would be called to the scene instead.
CFL explained the risk of electric shock for people or animals on the track is relatively low in Luxembourg, as long as a safe distance is maintained between the overhead lines. However, it is forbidden to trespass upon the line in general, due to the risk of being run over by a train. At stations, passengers are advised to stay behind the white line on the platforms, which not only guarantees the required safe distance between passengers and the trains, but also reduces the risk of dropping items on to the tracks.
If an incident such as the Montparnasse case were to happen in Luxembourg, the Animal Welfare Act would come into play, according to Berit Majeres, who works in animal welfare at the Luxembourg Veterinary and Food Administration.
The revised Animal Protection Act of 2018 forbids the “cruel” killing of an animal. Such an act represents a court offence and is punishable with fines ranging from €251 to €200,000, or prison sentences of up to 3 years.
Following Neko’s tragic death in Paris, the French animal rights group “30 million d’amis” filed a complaint against the national railway operator SNCF for “severe mistreatment and cruelty that led to the death of an animal”. If the case goes to trial, the court could impose a fine worth €75,000 and a prison sentence of up to 5 years.
