With 4,070 abolished trains per month in the first half of the year, the Belgian public railroad company NMBS/SNCB scored a new record, but one of the kinds you prefer not to show off during company presentations or half-yearly overviews. The same period in 2023, the previous record year, involved 4,016 trips per month.
In February of this year, 5,006 passenger trains were cancelled, accounting for 6% of train traffic, and this trend continued. The number of cancelled trains is high in the first half of the year, an analysis by the Belga news agency of the figures from rail network manager Infrabel reveals.
On average, 4,070 train sets were cancelled in the period from January to June. In 2023, the previous record year, there were 3,840 per month. In the first half of the year, there were 4016. So, at the current rate, 2025 will break the record.
That observation also holds true for the total number of trains. So far in 2025, each month has involved an average of 4.27% of scheduled rides; in 2023, it was 4%.
Figures are probably even higher
According to Groen Member of Parliament Staf Aerts, the railroads are polishing the figures with good punctuality statistics. In June, nearly 9% of trains arrived at their final destination on time or with a maximum 6-minute delay, NMBS/SNCB communicated earlier this week. Those punctuality figures, however, do not consider the cancellations.
“Of course, it’s good that trains run punctually, but not if that happens because there are simply fewer trains running,” Aerts says. “You’re much along with that if you’re standing on the platform looking around because your train has been cancelled.”
Moreover, the statistics do not yet consider the many strike days in recent months, notes the Groen politician. On those days, minimum service applies, but the trains that do not run are not counted as being abolished. “So, the actual number of days on which services were not running fully is even higher than the figures suggest,” he concludes.
Lower figures in neighboring countries
By comparison, at Deutsche Bahn, on average, only 1% of all scheduled train runs are cancelled. At the French railroad company SNCF, the percentage fluctuates between 1.6% and 1.9% on average.
NMBS/SNCB has been struggling for years with a shortage of train drivers, conductors, and technicians. Another determining factor is the obsolete equipment and slow delivery of new trains. According to NMBS/SNCB, half of the cancellations are due to technical causes, such as cable theft and track runners.
