Twenty per cent of Belgian trains are still not fitted with air conditioning, leading to uncomfortable journeys for passengers on hot days. The final trains without aircon are not due to be phased out until 2032.
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20% of trains still have no air conditioning
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Some peak-hour P-trains will not run on Monday and Tuesday due to the heatwave, railway operator NMBS announced on Sunday. The reason is the lack of air conditioning. As P-trains are left in direct sunlight for the rest of the day, they overheat to the point where they can no longer operate safely.
Passengers can check the NMBS app or website to see whether their P-train is running or not. Passenger organisation TreinTramBus is not happy with this communication. “They should have the decency to specify which trains are affected. Now passengers have to check their route themselves. That’s absurd,” says spokesperson Peter Meukens.
In response to an enquiry from VRT NWS, NMBS clarified that the cancellations are largely P-trains running to and from Brussels and a few around Ghent.
The P-trains currently taken out of service are not the only ones lacking cooling: around 20% of trains are still not fitted with air conditioning.
“Trains have an average lifespan of 40 years. The oldest ones on the network are now gradually reaching the end of their service life and will be taken out of service by 2032,” says NMBS spokesperson Dimitri Temmerman. These oldest trains were built before the 1990s, when the roll-out of air conditioning began.
Imagine having the misfortune of being stuck in that heat every day
TreinTramBus has reservations about the use of these trains. “We wonder why NMBS is still using such rolling stock during the day,” says Meukens. “Imagine having the misfortune of being stuck in that heat every day, because you usually end up on the same train every time.”
These trains are often overcrowded, for example on the line between Antwerp and Brussels. Since 2024, fewer trains have been running between the two cities, as space was needed for the new Eurocity train between Amsterdam and Brussels.
“It’s simply unacceptable that NMBS is running a Dutch train with perfect air conditioning on that route, while domestic passengers are not allowed to board it and have to sit in an overcrowded, old train without air conditioning,” says Meukens.
However, NMBS does not expect the line to become very busy in the coming days. Temmerman: “We do not expect overcrowded trains. The service we currently offer is sufficient.”
Whether they are travelling in a cool or hot train, NMBS advises all passengers to drink plenty of fluids and to bring a bottle of water with them when travelling.