Belgian national rail company SNCB confirmed on Saturday, 10 October that only seven out of ten InterCity (IC) trains will run on Monday, 12 October as staff belonging to the socialist union ACOD begin a 24-hour walkout Sunday night at 22:00. Under the emergency timetable, half of local (L/S) services and very few peak-hour commuter "P" trains will operate. International Thalys, Eurostar and ICE services are expected to run, but connections inside Belgium will be patchy, prompting SNCB International to urge passengers to re-check itineraries before departure. The company said it had prioritised Sunday-evening "student trains" to university cities such as Leuven and Ghent so that resident students can return after the weekend. For businesses, the knock-on effects are significant. Monday is the first working day after the national demonstration that paralysed Brussels public transport, and many corporate travellers had rebooked to rail after flight cancellations. Mobility managers now face a double-hit: limited airport ground-handling capacity and curtailed rail frequency. Deloitte Belgium told staff to avoid non-essential client visits and to schedule virtual meetings where possible. SNCB advises companies to communicate flexible working options and to distribute digital tickets only once the alternative timetable is live early Sunday. The government has not invoked minimum-service legislation, arguing that advance notice and the publication of an emergency timetable meet legal obligations. Business federations disagree, warning that Belgium risks losing its competitive edge if critical infrastructure can be shut down twice in the same week.
