Belgian Train Services Disrupted in March Due to Rail Strike
Belgium will be hit by a major rail strike after train staff pledged to walk out across the entire country on multiple days in March.
Belgian rail strike
The Belgian rail strike will run for three days, from Sunday 8 March at 22:00 to Wednesday 11 March at the close of the daily timetable.
Railway workers at both NMBS/SNCB, Belgium’s national railway company, and Infrabel, the country’s rail infrastructure manager, will take part in the walkout.
The strike, announced by the Socialist workers’ union, will not be joined by all, as the Christian workers’ union has declined to participate, opting instead to join the nationwide workers’ strike in Brussels on Thursday 12 March.
The nationwide strike on Thursday 12 March is a coordinated general walkout protesting the Belgian federal government’s proposed pension reform law.
On 12 March, the airports in Brussels and Charleroi will be completely closed due to the strike, with no flights departing.
Belgian trains. ©AndyBTravels
Strike timetable
During the three-day strike, NMBS/SNCB will operate a limited timetable.
Typically, this means that roughly one in four trains will run on main line routes, while most regional lines will see few or no services.
Check the dedicated strike page of the Belgian Railways and their online timetable to see which services will operate.
The alternative timetable is usually published 24 hours before the strike begins.
For international trains, such as Eurostar services from Brussels to London, Paris, and Amsterdam, check their website to see whether your train will run or be cancelled.
Eurostar has announced that they will contact passengers if the strike affects their departure, but it remains the traveller’s responsibility to check how the strike may impact any onward journey in Belgium.
AndyB’s take
Since January 2025, Belgian Railways has experienced a total of 32 strike days.
You begin to wonder whether such rail strikes are effective, as they do little to encourage a shift towards rail or more sustainable travel choices.
I was in Sydney once when the ferries were on strike, which essentially meant they continued running but were not collecting fares.
Might this not be a far more effective approach for dissatisfied railway staff?
Trains at the railway station of Liège-Guillemins. ©AndyBTravels
Conclusion
A three-day rail strike will hit Belgium, with many trains cancelled and only a limited timetable in effect from Sunday 8 March at 22:00 to Wednesday 11 March at the end of the evening.
On Thursday 12 March, a nationwide strike will hit Brussels, with no passenger flights departing from Belgian airports that day.
