Shortage of train drivers forces SNCB to scale back planned service expansion

Train operator SNCB has had to scale back its ambitions to increase services by the end of the year, De Standaard reports. The company says the cause is a shortage of staff.

By 2032, SNCB wants to run 10 per cent more trains and carry 30 per cent more passengers. By the end of 2026, there should be 2,000 extra trains a week. The emphasis is on additional supply around major cities and better connections at weekends.

However, De Standaard has seen documents showing that SCNB is having to scale back its plans, with 13 of the 15 projects due to be launched at the end of this year being postponed. These include late-night trains on Fridays and Saturdays around Brussels and Antwerp and extra weekend trains from Brussels to Charleroi, Leuven, Liège, Dendermonde and Aalst.

“Despite major recruitment efforts in a difficult labour market – especially in Flanders and Brussels – there will be a shortage of train drivers in December 2024 to implement the planned Transport Plan,” it said. Absence rates are higher than anticipated, fewer candidates are completing driver training and more drivers are retiring early.

^{Passengers at Vilvoorde station © PHOTO BELGIAN FREELANCE}

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