All week, fewer trains than usual will be operating due to the five-day rail strike. ‘Every day of the week, Belgium’s state-owned rail company NMBS will run an alternative train service with the staff who have indicated that they will be working,’ NMBS spokesperson Dimitri Temmerman told VRT NWS. ‘There is an ample train service throughout the country.’
Today and tomorrow, Tuesday, three-quarters of InterCity services will operate between the major cities, says the NMBS spokesperson. ‘Two out of three Local train services and metropolitan S trains will also run.’ However, there will be few P or commuter train services during the rush hour.
To find out exactly which trains are running, the rail company refers the travelling public to the NMBS route planner in the app and on the NMBS website . The spokesperson note that the same train services will not necessarily be running today and tomorrow.
Why are railworkers on strike?
The Belgian government wants to end lifetime career appointments at the rail company. Transport minister Crucke says this is needed to prepare the company for competition when the European rail sector is liberalised in 2032.
The unions are calling on a different group of workers to strike every day this week.