Train punctuality in Belgium improved in May this year compared to the same period in 2023, according to a statement released by Belgian railway company SNCB on Friday.
May 2024 saw a punctuality rate of 88.9%, an increase from 87% in May 2023. This means that nearly nine out of every ten trains arrived in Brussels or their final destination either on time or with a delay of no more than six minutes.
Just under 3% of trains were partially or fully cancelled, in contrast to 4.4% in May of the previous year.
The average punctuality rate for the year so far stands at 88.7%. This is higher compared to the same period in 2023, which was 87.2%.
There were fewer train cancellations in May, with a total of 3,856 trains or 3.9% of the total services that ran last month. This compares to a rate of 4.7% in May 2023.
The main reason for delays remains outside interferences – these often include trespassers on tracks, level crossing accidents, and copper thefts. Delays attributable to the SNCB are decreasing, with fewer rolling stock breakdowns and less time spent on platform operations.
The incident causing the most significant delay last month took place at Kortenberg on 27 May. A personal accident led to 198 train cancellations and 4,645 minutes of accumulated delay. A fault with an overhead line at Brussels-North station on 24th May resulted in a delay of 2,591 minutes and 170 train cancellations.
