Traffic was disrupted on Monday on the Brussels-Nivelles railway link due to work being done by Infrabel as part of the Regional Express Network (RER) construction project.
Shuttles were due to run to replace the cancelled trains, but the private bus company hired by SNCB was unable to provide the planned number of vehicles for logistical reasons, the railway company said.
Many commuters complained on social networks, mentioning that the bus did not stop at their usual stop, that their journey was greatly extended due to traffic jams, or that the vehicles were completely full.
The SNCB said it regretted the situation, which was beyond its control. It added that “a bus will never be able to replace a train in terms of capacity anyway” and that “it is possible that passengers will have to wait before they can board a bus with available seats.”
The railway company is encouraging users to favour other alternatives to get to their destinations. In particular, it says, access to the car park at Braine-le-Comte station is free, and passengers can park there and take the train to Brussels from that point.
From Brussels, users with a train ticket can take certain STIB and De Lijn buses, including Line 155 between Uccle-Calevoet and Holleken, Line 37 between Linkebeek and St. Jacob’s, and Line 43 between Viver d’Oie and Monesberg.
On weekdays only, two P trains run in each direction between Brussels-Midi, Ottignies, Charleroi-Central and Châtelet/Jemeppe-sur-Sambre, while there are additional direct trains between Charleroi-Central and Braine-le-Comte, from where it is possible to take a train to Brussels.
