Belgium: The number of cancelled Belgian trains peaked in the first half of this year at a total of 21,856, according to the sources. Rail infrastructure operator, it can be concluded that the rise in cancellations is due to failings at rail operator SNCB, notably massive staff shortages.
In the beginning six months of the year, over 8,200 trains were completely cancelled, while about 13,000 suffered cancellations for only part of the journey. The level of cancellations this year is the highest in five years.
Moreover, data also suggests that if nothing is done to improve the service of the Belgian railway in the coming six months, then the balance sheet of the SNBC will reflect that.
SNCB had operational losses of €401.9 million last year, with the government providing it with federal assistance of €303.8 million. SNCB will receive an additional €64.6 million this year to try and cut back on cancellations and balance out fast-growing costs.
In recent months, punctuality has also decreased. Trains are running far less promptly than they used to across the Belgian network. The timeliness of Belgium trains fell to 90.5 percent in the first half of 2022, the lowest figures in three years.
