Belgium’s national rail operator NMBS/SNCB has activated its extreme-heat contingency plan after the Royal Meteorological Institute issued a red alert for most of the country. From Wednesday 24 June through Friday 26 June the company scrapped around forty P-trains (rush-hour expresses) and sixty S-trains (suburban services) daily, mainly around Brussels and Antwerp. From 15:00 each afternoon buses replaced all diesel services on the Gent–Eeklo/Oudenaarde/Ronse and Gent–Geraardsbergen corridors, where track-side sensors recorded rail temperatures above 55 °C. Older rolling stock with limited air-conditioning is particularly vulnerable to overheated traction motors and buckled rails. NMBS said preventive cancellations are cheaper and safer than mid-journey failures that could leave passengers stranded in stifling carriages. Infrastructure manager Infrabel stationed emergency welding teams at known hot-spots and reduced line-speeds by up to 40 km/h on sections laid with continuous welded rail. The cuts coincide with a surge in leisure travel to the coast – bad news for corporate travellers relying on evening Intercity links from Brussels Airport or EU institutions. Employers should advise assignees to monitor the NMBS app, allow generous connection buffers and consider direct airport coaches or car-share options. Under EU Regulation 1371/2007, passengers whose train is cancelled are entitled to rerouting or a full refund but not to compensation for consequential losses such as missed flights. Climate scientists warn that Belgium, once considered a temperate rail paradise, now faces Mediterranean-style extremes that will hit punctuality and raise maintenance costs. NMBS is testing heat-resistant sleepers and reflective ballast paint, but the bulk of upgrades will not appear until the 2028–2032 investment cycle – a time horizon that global-mobility managers must factor into long-term site-selection and commuter policies. With temperatures expected to drop on Saturday, NMBS plans to restore the normal 3,800-train daily schedule but says it will keep a close watch on next week’s forecasts. The episode adds urgency to the operator’s request for €480 million in federal funding to accelerate line modernisation before the 2027 EU presidency returns to Brussels.
Source: NMBS (Official Service Update)
