Belgian train language rules under fire after conductor’s greeting sparks complaint

A Belgian train conductor is facing a complaint for greeting passengers in both French and Dutch while passing through the Flemish city of Vilvoorde, where only Dutch announcements are allowed. The case has reignited debate over Belgium’s strict language rules. The national railway calls for reform. 

A train conductor for Belgium’s national railway SNCB/NMBS is facing an official complaint for greeting passengers with “bonjour-goedemorgen” in the Flemish city of Vilvoorde, where only Dutch greetings are permitted under strict language regulations. 

The conductor, Ilyass Alba, who frequently shares stories about his job on social media, revealed that a passenger filed the complaint with the Permanent Commission for Language Supervision. Vilvoorde, located in Flanders but just a minute by train from the bilingual Brussels region, falls under Dutch-only language requirements.

Kafkaesque rules

The NMBS confirmed the complaint and reiterated its push for more lenient language policies. “Our conductors should be able to focus on their important responsibilities”, said NMBS spokesperson Dimitri Temmerman.

Currently, conductors must adhere to complex and location-specific language guidelines. In Flanders, all announcements must be in Dutch, and the same applies to the digital information boards inside trains. However, once the train crosses into Brussels, conductors may switch to bilingual announcements in French and Dutch.

Even in Brussels, the order of the languages depends on the conductor’s native tongue. If the conductor is French-speaking, French comes first, and vice versa. In Wallonia, only French is allowed for announcements and information boards. One notable exception exists for trains heading to Brussels Airport, where announcements can be made in four languages: Dutch, French, English, and German, regardless of the train’s location in Belgium. 

Political debate

Outgoing mobility minister Georges Gilkinet (Ecolo/Greens) has joined the SNCB in advocating for more flexible language rules. He has criticised the “rigid enforcement often pushed by right-wing Flemish parties such as Vlaams Belang and N-VA”, which he says makes no longer sense in today’s context. 

^{#FlandersNewsService | A train conductor in Zaventem © BELGA PHOTO KRISTOF VAN ACCOM}