Belgium’s national rail company, NMBS/SNCB, is set to invest nearly €50 million over the next three years in its high-speed train workshop in Forest.
The announcement came Friday, during celebrations marking 30 years of high-speed train connections between Brussels and France.
The Forest workshop, operational since 1993, employs around 320 people who specialise in servicing TGV Inoui and Eurostar high-speed trains. The facility is conveniently located near Brussels South Station, Belgium’s primary hub for high-speed rail.
Part of the investment will prepare the workshop for future double-decker trains ordered by both the French railway company, SNCF, and Eurostar, according to SNCB spokesperson Dimitri Temmerman.
The site will also be expanded with two additional tracks featuring 400-metre work pits.
SNCF plans to introduce the new trains by 2029, while Eurostar anticipates their arrival by 2031. Potential competitors may also use the upgraded facilities.
Staff at the Forest workshop handle maintenance, repairs, and cleaning for TGV Inoui trains operating on routes between Brussels and France, under an ongoing partnership between SNCF and SNCB.
High-speed connections between Brussels and France, often referred to as TGV (train à grande vitesse), celebrated their 30th anniversary this year.
Currently, nine services operate daily in each direction, linking Brussels to 28 French destinations and transporting about 1.8 million passengers annually.
Friday’s celebrations at Brussels South Station were attended by SNCB CEO Sophie Dutordoir, SNCF executives, Belgium’s Mobility Minister Jean-Luc Crucke, and France’s Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot.
