This weekend (1st, 2nd, and 3rd of November), the North-South junction will be inaccessible from the South due to the works of modernization of the signaling of Brussels-Midi, operated by Infrabel. The works will have an impact on the rail traffic, warns a release of SNCB Wednesday. The same scenario will happen again on the weekend of 9, 10 and 11 November. SNCB warns that the train offer will already be impacted on Thursday 31 October and Friday 8 November in the evening.

Most trains will not run to and from Brussels-Midi, so an alternative transport plan has been developed to limit the impact on travelers. The majority of the trains that cross Hal, Bruxelles-Midi, Brussels-Central or Brussels-North will be adapted: most of them will be diverted via other Brussels stations. Connections by train to Brussels-Midi will be planned from Schaerbeek, Brussels-Luxembourg and Brussels-North. It will still be possible to travel within the junction between Brussels-North and Brussels-Midi, with 6 trains per hour in each direction.

Trains from the provinces of Liège, Luxembourg and Namur will bypass the Brussels junction via Schaerbeek and some trains will run to Brussels North. Trains from Charleroi, Mons, Tournai, Braine-le-Comte, Binche and La Louvière will not stop at the stations of the Brussels junction. Some trains will stop in Halle where an alternative SNCB bus service is planned between Halle and Bruxelles-Midi, other trains will stop in other Brussels stations (among others Brussels-Luxembourg) where travelers can make a connection by train to the stations of the junction.

Travelers heading to the coast from Brussels will be invited to take a train to Schaerbeek where it will be possible to make a connection to the coast. The travel planner will be available on the SNCB website and app.

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In recent months, KLM, Thalys and NS Dutch Railways have developed a long-term plan to reduce the number of flights between Brussels and Schiphol. The basic premise being that the product should match its current appeal to customers. KLM intends to gradually cut back the number of flights between Brussels and Schiphol, they have stated on a recent press release.

They are reducing the number of flights between Brussels and Amsterdam from five to four only as a first step towards this joint project.

« Intermodal transport involving trains and planes remains a complex and challenging business. Speed is key, not only in terms of the train itself, but also the transfer process at the airport. We aim to make maximum progress in both areas. Reducing our frequency from five to four flights a day is a good way of gaining more experience with Air&Rail services,«  stated KLM President & CEO Pieter Elbers

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More specifically, the Belgian infrastructure managerial organisation has requested that the SNCB not run any trains at peak times (‘P-trains’) to and from Brussels. Infrabel is due to modernise the train infrastructure south of Brussels-Midi station this autumn. According to Infrabel, this “essential” work will require the complete closure of the North-South Brussels junction during the long weekends of 1 and 11 November.

But, to the SNCB’s great surprise, major disruptions are also expected from 14 October to 8 November, with Infrabel intending to close no less than 30% of train traffic at the Brussels South station – a significant reduction.

“We regret once again to learn from the press that Infrabel is making a decision which goes against common sense and without taking into account the impact on travellers,” said Gianni Tabbone, spokesman for the travel association Navetteurs.be. “After the threats of line closures, Infrabel now requires the SNCB to cancel numerous trains for one month to carry out its work without taking into account the impact on 68,000 passengers who already suffer many inconveniences on a daily basis.”

“This measure once again demonstrates the problems of collaboration between SNCB and Infrabel. We cannot accept these train cancellations and ask Infrabel to review its intended policy as a matter of urgency,” added Mr Tabbone.

This opinion is shared by the Flemish commuter association TreinTramBus. “The traveller is once again the victim of communication problems between SNCB and Infrabel,” the association said in a statement.

A final decision on whether the planned cancellations will go ahead will take place in the middle of next month.

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The strike notice was filed during an intense period of negotiations between management and the unions.

Many train attendants (as well as tickets officers and station staff) have had to cancel their holidays at the last minute this summer due to a lack of available staff.

SNCB points out that a “minimum service” will apply in the event of a strike and that it will communicate which trains will run on the day of the strike at least 24 hours in advance.

July 27 promises to particularly busy weekend at train stations, with expected good weather and popular events such as the Tomorrowland Festival and the Libramont Agricultural Fair scheduled to be held.

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Eurostar trains experienced significant delays on Sunday morning and afternoon at  Gare du Midi station due to longer than expected maintenance work on two trains, the company spokeswoman said. On Twitter, dissatisfied travellers shared photos of the long queues at the station.

Due to the delay in maintenance work, the first two trains of the day experienced “significant delays”, causing long queues, explained spokeswoman Stefanie Van Mierlo. One of the two trains, scheduled for 8:52 am, did not leave the station until around 1 pm.

The disruptions in Brussels also caused delays at other stations throughout the day. However, from today (Monday) things have returned to normal.

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Because of consumers’ concerns over the potential impact of air travel on the environment, many holidaymakers are opting to take the train to go abroad this year.

In response to this consumer demand, SNCB is offering an increased number of trains heading for the Belgian coast this summer, and will also be providing better access via rail to summer festivals across Belgium and major events such as the Tour de France. Moreover, the Interrail pass, which allows you to travel by train throughout Europe, is proving to be an even greater success than usual this year.

To find out more about SNCB’s full range of services during the holidays, please visit its official website.

In other news, the “Back on track” collective wants to restore night trains and thus enable passengers to enjoy this more environmentally-friendly means of long-distance travel. A petition has already gained more than 8,000 signatures, and the collective hopes to push this initiative all the way to the European level.

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