Belgium Railway Strike: Major Train Disruptions Predicted
Belgium is facing a 24-hour railway strike, with significant disruptions expected to both domestic and international train services.
Railway strike in Belgium
The strike by personnel of NMBS/SNCB, the Belgian national railway company, is set to begin on Sunday, 16th March, at 22:00.
It will be a 24-hour strike, meaning railway workers will only return to work at 22:00 on Monday, 17th March.
Most disruptions are therefore expected during the morning and evening rush hours on Monday, as there is very little train traffic during the night from Sunday to Monday.
The Eurostar train from London to Amsterdam has arrived at the station in Brussels. ©AndyBTravels
International train traffic in Belgium during the strike
Although most disruptions are expected in domestic train traffic, the railway strike in Belgium will also impact international services.
The Eurostar train service between Brussels and London will not be affected by the strike, according to Belgian local media, and is set to operate as normal.
However, the Eurostar (formerly Thalys) high-speed trains linking Brussels with Amsterdam and Paris will be affected by the strike.
So far, 16 of these Eurostar trains have been cancelled, primarily between Brussels and Paris.
The strike will have some aftershock effects on Tuesday as well, with Eurostar having cancelled an additional four services that day.
According to a Eurostar spokeswoman, “all affected passengers have been notified and will be able to reschedule their journey free of charge, or get a refund”.
Train services to Germany
The Nightjet sleeper train (NJ 424/425) linking Vienna with Brussels will only operate to/from Cologne.
If you take this train departing Vienna on 16th March, you can connect in Cologne the following morning, 17th March, onto ICE 18 towards Brussels.
Likewise, if you were booked on the Brussels-Vienna Nightjet on the 17th, you will need to take ICE 19 from Brussels to Cologne, where you can board your Nightjet train.
Other cross-border trains
The railway strike in Belgium is likely to impact the classic EuroCity (EC) trains to and from the Netherlands, with some of these services set to be cancelled.
In case your EuroCity train is cancelled, you are free to travel on another train on the same route between Sunday, 16th March, up to Tuesday, 18th March.
The strike will likely impact some regional cross-border train services as well.
Belgian trains. ©AndyBTravels
Definite list
The final list of international trains operating during the strike in Belgium will be published between 48 and 24 hours before the strike begins.
Remember that if your booked international train is cancelled, European passenger rights apply, allowing you to request rerouting or a full refund.
Conclusion
There will be a 24-hour railway strike in Belgium from 16th March at 22:00 until 17th March at 22:00, severely impacting train traffic.
Some international train services, such as the Eurostar between Brussels and London and the ICE from Brussels to Cologne, should run as normal.
However, many high-speed Eurostar (formerly Thalys) trains from Brussels to Amsterdam and Paris will be impacted.
Many EuroCity trains between Belgium and the Netherlands, as well as local cross-border services, may be cancelled as well.
The Nightjet sleeper train between Vienna and Brussels will be terminated early in Cologne during the strike.
