Railway traffic across Belgium is set to be disrupted throughout next week due to a strike called by the country's trade unions.
The strike will impact train services from 10 pm on Sunday 25 January until the last train on Friday 30 January.
The union action was announced in December last year, following the Federal Government's approval of a bill by Mobility Minister Jean-Luc Crucke (Les Engagés).
The bill, which aims to modernise the management of Belgium's public railway companies, puts an end to the appointment of permanent roles within the national railway operator SNCB/NMBS and the rail infrastructure group Infrabel.
The unions are also concerned with proposed changes to the system of labour negotiations, which they fear could allow HR Rail, the umbrella organisation managing SNCB and Infrabel staff, to make decisions without the agreement of at least one of the trade unions.
In addition, union members are striking to denounce poor working conditions and pension reforms.
Adapted train schedules
It is currently unclear to what extent regional train traffic will be affected by the union action, as railway staff have until Thursday evening to indicate whether they will be striking, according to Dimitri Temmerman, spokesperson for the railway operator SNCB/NMBS.
Nonetheless, some trains are expected to run throughout the five-day strike. "Depending on staff availability, we will organise an alternative train service to get passengers to their destination," he told The Brussels Times.
The first adapted train schedule should be available to passengers on Saturday via the SNCB app or website. The adapted schedules will be available online throughout the strike days, 24 hours in advance.
According to SNCB, the conditions for train ticket refunds or changes remain the same during strikes. However, Temmerman advises passengers to contact the SNCB contact centre for specific questions and concerns.
International travel could be affected
Temmerman warns that international train services may also be affected by next week's strike. This includes Eurostar, EuroCity, EuroCity Direct, TGV INOUI, Ouigo and ICE trains.
While the impact on international railway journeys is currently unknown, SNCB advises passengers to regularly consult their online traffic disruption page for the latest information.
A spokesperson for the high-speed train operator Eurostar told The Brussels Times that more information regarding possible impacts on its services should be known by Friday.
The railway strike will coincide with a union action at the Walloon transport operator LETEC, which was announced as a response to revisions of the operator's Public Service Contract.
Disruptions are expected across LETEC's network from Monday, 26 January, for an indefinite period. Passengers are advised to consult the operator's app and website for the latest information regarding its service.
