Belgium’s three largest railway unions have issued a joint 24-hour strike notice that will shut down almost the entire passenger and freight network for 72 hours from 22:00 on Sunday 23 November until 22:00 on Wednesday 26 November. The action – the first coordinated multi-day stoppage since 2022 – is aimed at forcing the caretaker federal government to abandon cost-cutting plans and open negotiations on recruitment, pay and safety.
According to the strike notice, only one in five InterCity (IC) and suburban (S/L) trains will run, with international services (Eurostar, Thalys, ICE and TGV) expected to be “heavily curtailed or cancelled outright.” Infrabel has warned that maintenance windows and signalling work will also be suspended, increasing the likelihood of knock-on delays after the strike ends. Brussels Airport says rail links to the terminal will be reduced to an hourly skeleton service, and it has urged travellers to allow extra time or arrange road transport.
For employers, the walk-out coincides with the peak season for expatriate rotations and business travel to Belgium’s EU institutions. Companies should trigger business-continuity plans, advise travellers to re-route via Amsterdam, Paris-Nord or Düsseldorf where possible, and remind posted workers that Belgian law requires strike-day salary payments only when tele-working is feasible.
The dispute centres on the government’s proposal to freeze head-count growth at SNCB/NMBS and Infrabel and to raise the statutory retirement age for safety-critical staff. Unions argue that the network is already short 1,200 drivers and 600 signalers, leading to chronic cancellations. They also reject the idea of replacing ticket offices with digital kiosks, saying it will deter elderly passengers and tourists unfamiliar with the system.
If no agreement is reached, unions threaten a second 48-hour strike in mid-December – a scenario that would disrupt holiday travel and cargo flows through the Port of Antwerp-Bruges. Multinational employers should monitor talks and prepare for extended rail disruption stretching into year-end.
According to the strike notice, only one in five InterCity (IC) and suburban (S/L) trains will run, with international services (Eurostar, Thalys, ICE and TGV) expected to be “heavily curtailed or cancelled outright.” Infrabel has warned that maintenance windows and signalling work will also be suspended, increasing the likelihood of knock-on delays after the strike ends. Brussels Airport says rail links to the terminal will be reduced to an hourly skeleton service, and it has urged travellers to allow extra time or arrange road transport.
For employers, the walk-out coincides with the peak season for expatriate rotations and business travel to Belgium’s EU institutions. Companies should trigger business-continuity plans, advise travellers to re-route via Amsterdam, Paris-Nord or Düsseldorf where possible, and remind posted workers that Belgian law requires strike-day salary payments only when tele-working is feasible.
The dispute centres on the government’s proposal to freeze head-count growth at SNCB/NMBS and Infrabel and to raise the statutory retirement age for safety-critical staff. Unions argue that the network is already short 1,200 drivers and 600 signalers, leading to chronic cancellations. They also reject the idea of replacing ticket offices with digital kiosks, saying it will deter elderly passengers and tourists unfamiliar with the system.
If no agreement is reached, unions threaten a second 48-hour strike in mid-December – a scenario that would disrupt holiday travel and cargo flows through the Port of Antwerp-Bruges. Multinational employers should monitor talks and prepare for extended rail disruption stretching into year-end.
