Rail traffic running from Belgium to France has been suspended following Monday’s horrific collision according to reports by SNCF, the French national railway operator.

The SNCF made the decision to allow rescue work to be undertaken by emergency teams. Though the closures are expected to only last the one day, the scale of the wreck has yet to be fully understood.

Some 10 lines were cancelled yesterday, including links that operate between the two countries under management of Eurostar, TGV and Thalys. TER regional trains were also suspended by authorities but refunds and exchanges have been made available for ticket holders.

Considered to be the worst rail accident in modern European history, the disaster happened when two passenger trains met head on just outside of Brussels. Dozens of people suffered a ranging scale of injuries while the death toll has risen above 20. The accident was the greatest tragedy to beset the Belgian rail network in over 50 years, horrifying rescue crews and onlookers in the south-west of the city.

The true cause of the accident is still to be clarified, with reports claiming that a faulty electrical system had created signalling error, while a regional officer inside Belgium claimed that one of the trains had failed to stop at a red light.

Up to 300 people were believed to be aboard the trains as they crashed in rush hour. The frontal impact left debris and bodies scattered around the tracks in light snow.