SNCB increases weekend and late-night train service and expands suburban network
Rail operator SNCB is increasing its train service from Sunday, with more trains at the end of the day, better IC connections at weekends and an expanded suburban network around Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent and Charleroi.
There are now more S trains on Friday and Saturday evenings departing from Brussels and Antwerp on the S1 (Brussels–Antwerp) and S2 (Braine-le-Comte–Brussels–Leuven) services with stops at several stations.
The IC service between major cities is also being increased at weekends: from one to two trains per hour between Charleroi and Brussels and between Liège and Brussels.
The new Liège–Brussels train also serves Brussels Airport, while Leuven will get a third IC train each hour to and from Brussels. Between Antwerp and Leuven, the IC train via Aarschot now also runs at weekends.
Rush hour service
Changes are also planned on weekdays around Brussels, with an S4 train between Aalst and Brussels-Luxembourg via Jette every 30 minutes. The same applies to the S7 between Halle and Vilvoorde and the S3 between Denderleeuw and Geraardsbergen.
A new P train will run from Dendermonde to Brussels-Midi via Jette and Brussels-North during the morning rush hour. During the evening rush hour, it will run in the opposite direction.
For passengers travelling to Luxembourg, the Libramont-Arlon and Arlon-Luxembourg connections are now coupled, offering a direct connection between Libramont, Habay, Arlon and Luxembourg City without a change in Arlon.
Further changes to suburban networks are planned for September, around Antwerp and Charleroi.
Rail service will increase by 2 per cent in 2026 from 2025, with a total increase of 5 per cent compared to 2023. The target, set in the 2023-2032 public service contract, is to achieve 10 per cent growth.
Passenger association TreinTramBus is largely happy with the changes but continues to call for more trains between Antwerp and Brussels. Until then, the organisation believes domestic passengers should be allowed on the Eurocity Direct train to Amsterdam.
“There are always plenty of seats available on that train, while commuters on that main line are crammed into the other trains,” said chair Peter Meukens. “This drives commuters back into their cars, which cannot be the intention.”
Passengers at Brussels-Midi © BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK
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