The SNCB (Belgium’s national railway company) intends to develop a project using trains without guards, which is likely to come to fruition by the period 2019-2020. This is revealed by L'Echo today (Wednesday). Investment of at least 40 million euros will be necessary to implement this.
The railway operator is completing a comparative study, based upon other businesses in the sector that have dispensed with such roles in their vehicles.
The conclusions should allow the SNCB to evaluate the implications of this removal from an operational legal and commercial perspective, as well as in terms of safety.
Trial runs will be undertaken on rural lines, before trials take place in Antwerp and Liège. Net SNCB employment will be reduced by 469 employees following implementation of this mesure.
The Brussels Times
