Belgium: Trains deliberately skip stops, leaving passengers stranded

Belgian federal Minister of Mobility Jean-Luc Crucke has instructed railway infrastructure manager Infrabel to record trains that intentionally skip their scheduled stops. This directive follows a parliamentary debate that highlighted a lack of clarity surrounding the practice.

Data from Infrabel reveals that between January 1 and June 30, 2026, a total of 442 trains missed a planned stop. This averages to at least two trains per day skipping a station. The national railway company, SNCB, defends the practice, stating that such decisions are not made lightly. They are reportedly only implemented when a significant cumulative delay threatens to disrupt other train services, causing a domino effect.

While SNCB theoretically reserves this measure for situations where another train is scheduled to arrive soon after at the same stop, and the station is considered small, the railway ombudsman Ombudsrail has questioned the strict adherence to these conditions. In April, Ombudsrail noted that these skips were not limited to small stations but also occurred at crucial regional hubs like Leuven, Landen, Aalst, and Louvain-la-Neuve, which are vital for public transport connections.