A ‘ghost train’ managed to evade authorities after it caught fire in Germany.

Firefighters and police rushed to the village of Strauss at 3am on Friday after receiving news of the blaze.

The driverless diesel engine was well alight by the time they arrived.

But the situation soon evolved into a wild chase when the train darted away of its own accord.

It started to chug towards Austria as fire crews and police officers plodded along after it.

The train had rolled several miles towards the town of Freilassing before it was finally brought to a halt.

A video posted online by the Freilassing Volunteer Firefighting Company showed flames and smoke pouring from the train as it swept through the town.

With firefighters in hot pursuit, railway officials managed to switch the ‘ghost train’ on to a side track near Freilassing station.

The ‘ghost train’ evaded fire crews for several miles (Picture: Freiwillige Feuerwehr Freilassing)

It was then stopped by a buffer before it could cross the border.

The fire was extinguished and nobody was injured, the Bavarian Red Cross said in a statement.

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The Great Train Escape.