This is the nail-biting moment a 15-year-old cyclist is sent flying after he raced through a level crossing into the path of a speeding train.

Shocking railway security CCTV footage shows the biker ignoring barriers, flashing lights and warning bells as he teared through the crossing at speed in Wervik city, in West Flanders province, Belgium.

At the last second, he looked up and saw the train just a few metres from him as he desperately tried to steer out of the way.

But the locomotive smashed into the cyclist’s rear wheel sending him flying through the air onto the road on the other side of the tracks, the footage from 7th November shows.

Miraculously, according to local media, the cyclist was discharged from hospital after treatment for a minor head injury.

City Mayor Youro Casier said: “The cyclist ignored all signals: the bell, the red lights and the closed barriers. He put himself in a very dangerous situation.

“The fact that he is only slightly injured is a blessing in disguise. I hope he recovers quickly and that this can be an important lesson for everyone.

“We should try to avoid such accidents as much as possible. Age plays no role in this.

“Every road user has their own responsibility. If you take such a risk, you are putting your life at risk. It still happens too often that closed-level crossings are ignored.”

Train services between Poperinge and Menen both in West Flanders province came to a halt, stranded 50 passengers.

Railway manager, Thomas Baeken said: “We notice that many people underestimate the speed of an approaching train. It only increases the risk of a fatal outcome.

“Unfortunately, we regularly find that people are gambling with their lives by trying to cross the road.

“In our country, we record an accident at a level crossing every week on average, and there is also a death once a month. These are unacceptable figures.”