The controversial "window seat rule" on trains going to the Belgian coast will not be extended after 26 April, according to Federal Mobility Minister Georges Gilkinet.
The measure was introduced during a Consultative Committee at the end of March to apply during the Easter holidays and the weekend after (24 and 25 April).
The aim of this rule was to avoid concentrations of passengers during the holidays, but it mostly made headlines for being at the base of several disagreements between the SNCB rail company and Gilkinet.
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After the last weekend of April, train travel will switch back to the existing public transport protocols that were approved by the Corona Commission.
From May, trains can carry passengers up to 100% capacity again, but overcrowded trains remain out of the question, and SNCB will continue to take necessary measures in the stations to avoid overcrowding.
Additionally, the face mask obligation in trains and stations remains in force.
"In the coming weeks and months, we will still have to remain very vigilant and adhere to the measures," said Gilkinet. "But the vaccination strategy is progressing and making an exit possible, and I am happy about that."
Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times
