New rail timetable comes into effect, 400 extra services each week
The Belgian rail company NMBS ‘new timetable comes into effect from today. The new timetable brings with it a weekly total of 400 additional rail services. By 2023 NMBS hopes that there will be 1,000 extra trains per week running on our country’s rail network. The Belgian rail company is investing particularly heavily in extra early morning and late evening services between major urban centres such as Antwerp, Brussels and Ghent.
Each year NMBS makes changes to its timetable on the second Sunday of December and 2020 is no exception. However, while most years the changes are only relatively minor, once every three years the rail company gives its timetable a more thorough overhaul.
The changes that come into effect from today are part of a phased plan that by 2023 should see an extra 1,000 trains per week running on the Belgian rail network. Of these 200 additional services will run at the weekend and on public holidays.
From Monday a new Intercity service will run between Schaarbeek (Brussels) and Kortrijk (West Flanders) on weekdays. There will also be additional services between Leuven (Flemish Brabant) and Brussels during the morning and evening rush hours. On Saturday’s there will be extra late evening services to and from Ghent Saint Peter’s Station.
A brand-new station has opened in the Brussels municipality of Anderlecht, near to the COOVI/CERIA College on the Bergensesteenweg.
Once the entire plan has been implemented (in 2023) NMBS trains will be travelling 3.77 million kilometres more annually than was the case under the previous timetable. This equates to 4.7% increase in the total number of rail services provided by NMBS.