Belgium’s national rail operator SNCB/NMBS has issued a special advisory for Sunday 11 October, flagging an ‘exceptionally high number of travellers’ on services to and from Brussels because of the Climate March. Although the railway is not on strike today, the carrier has deployed crowd-management teams at Brussels-Central, Schuman and Brussel-Noord stations and has added capacity on the S trains serving the airport and major commuter towns. In parallel, infrastructure works between Leuven and Landen mean that some local trains have altered departure times, while a separate engineering blockade on the Brussels–Tournai line continues this weekend. The confluence of diversions, larger-than-usual crowds and ongoing works significantly raises the risk of missed connections for business travellers with tight itineraries. Rail passengers holding flexible “Standard” tickets can board earlier or later trains at no extra cost, but those on non-flexible “GoPass” and “Weekend” fares are being urged to rebook if their original service looks overcrowded. International passengers connecting onto Eurostar or Thalys services should allow at least 60 minutes’ transfer time in Brussels-Midi, SNCB advises. For global-mobility teams planning Monday-morning relocations or client meetings, the operational strain on Sunday evening services could spill over into the early hours of Monday, when rolling stock and crews must be repositioned. Companies are therefore encouraged to schedule airport pick-ups later in the morning or to pre-book taxis instead of relying on the first commuter trains. SNCB says it will continue to update its journey-planner and mobile app in real time as the day progresses. Employers should circulate the link internally so that assignees can make on-the-spot decisions about routing.
Source: SNCB Traffic & Works Portal
