On Tuesday at 8:40AM protesters left the tracks so that train traffic could slowly resume at the Liège-Guillemins station, stated an SNCB spokesperson.
A vast majority of conductors who usually leave the Welkenraedt, Liers and Liege stations at dawn refused to begin service. The trains in the Liege region are still heavily affected. The transfers to the capital were stalled; the Ostend-Eupen line is currently not in service. The connection to Namur however is still running.
A Thalys to Paris was blocked for nearly an hour at the Liège-Guillemins station but was able to resume its journey after the protesters left the tracks. Meanwhile, another Thalys to Essen (Germany) was delayed for 35 minutes.
Just over one in three drivers worked on Tuesday morning (eleven out of 29 in Liege, four out of thirteen in Welkenraedt, and three out of four in Liers).
This strike occurred a day after a walk-out in Charleroi –Sud on Monday. The train conductors walked off at 3:15 to protest against the lack of clarity in the coalition agreement and the effect it will have on the SNCB budgets in the coming years.
(Source: Belga)
