Belgium’s three main rail unions—ACOD Spoor, CSC-Transcom and SLFP—filed formal notice on 8 January for a five-day national strike from Monday 26 to Friday 30 January. The walk-out targets forthcoming federal legislation that would abolish civil-servant status for new railway recruits and change decision-making rules in joint labour committees. ([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-08/be/belgian-rail-unions-call-week-long-strike-for-26-30-january-threatening-nationwide-travel-chaos/))
If it proceeds, national operator SNCB will operate only a ‘service minimum’—historically about 25–30 % of normal weekday trains—while international operators such as Eurostar, Thalys and Deutsche Bahn must decide whether to cancel or divert services that transit Belgian tracks. For global mobility teams the timing is awkward: the last week of January is a traditional rotation window for graduate programmes and short-term assignees starting 1 February. ([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-08/be/belgian-rail-unions-call-week-long-strike-for-26-30-january-threatening-nationwide-travel-chaos/))
![Belgian rail unions plan 26–30 January strike, threatening commuter and cross-border services]()
VisaHQ can help organisations caught in this logjam by fast-tracking any last-minute Belgian or neighbouring Schengen visas required when flights or rail routes are re-routed. Our dedicated Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) offers real-time entry guidance, digital application tools and courier support—freeing mobility managers to focus on alternate travel and accommodation while we handle the paperwork.
Employers may need to charter buses or approve extra hotel nights for relocating staff and visiting executives. The strike also threatens commuter flows into Brussels’ EU quarter just as Belgium’s EU Council Presidency hosts a cluster of ministerial meetings. Council officials are already exploring shuttles from Ghent, Antwerp and Liège and may allow hybrid attendance for delegates unable to reach the capital. ([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-08/be/belgian-rail-unions-call-week-long-strike-for-26-30-january-threatening-nationwide-travel-chaos/))
Past rail strikes have spilled over into ancillary sectors—baggage handling at Brussels Airport and customs inspections at Zeebrugge—through solidarity action. Mobility managers should therefore mark 25–31 January as ‘amber’ days in booking systems, brief travellers on reimbursement rules for taxis and car hire, and monitor aviation bulletins for knock-on effects. ([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-08/be/belgian-rail-unions-call-week-long-strike-for-26-30-january-threatening-nationwide-travel-chaos/))
If it proceeds, national operator SNCB will operate only a ‘service minimum’—historically about 25–30 % of normal weekday trains—while international operators such as Eurostar, Thalys and Deutsche Bahn must decide whether to cancel or divert services that transit Belgian tracks. For global mobility teams the timing is awkward: the last week of January is a traditional rotation window for graduate programmes and short-term assignees starting 1 February. ([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-08/be/belgian-rail-unions-call-week-long-strike-for-26-30-january-threatening-nationwide-travel-chaos/))
VisaHQ can help organisations caught in this logjam by fast-tracking any last-minute Belgian or neighbouring Schengen visas required when flights or rail routes are re-routed. Our dedicated Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) offers real-time entry guidance, digital application tools and courier support—freeing mobility managers to focus on alternate travel and accommodation while we handle the paperwork.
Employers may need to charter buses or approve extra hotel nights for relocating staff and visiting executives. The strike also threatens commuter flows into Brussels’ EU quarter just as Belgium’s EU Council Presidency hosts a cluster of ministerial meetings. Council officials are already exploring shuttles from Ghent, Antwerp and Liège and may allow hybrid attendance for delegates unable to reach the capital. ([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-08/be/belgian-rail-unions-call-week-long-strike-for-26-30-january-threatening-nationwide-travel-chaos/))
Past rail strikes have spilled over into ancillary sectors—baggage handling at Brussels Airport and customs inspections at Zeebrugge—through solidarity action. Mobility managers should therefore mark 25–31 January as ‘amber’ days in booking systems, brief travellers on reimbursement rules for taxis and car hire, and monitor aviation bulletins for knock-on effects. ([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-08/be/belgian-rail-unions-call-week-long-strike-for-26-30-january-threatening-nationwide-travel-chaos/))
