Belgium’s long-signalled rail strike moved from theory to reality at 22:00 on Sunday 25 January, as unions representing NMBS/SNCB employees started a five-day walk-out that will run through Friday 30 January. Day-one operating plans released by the rail operator show that only three out of four InterCity trains and two out of three L- and S-services will run; peak-hour P-trains are largely cancelled. The action targets pension and employment-status reforms that would end lifetime appointments for new rail staff.(bruzz.be)
Initial commuter-flow data indicate severe disruption in the Brussels capital region, where HR consultancy SD Worx reports that 50 % of SMEs have opted for mandatory telework this week to maintain business continuity—compared with just 11 % in Flanders and 21 % in Wallonia. Brussels-based expats and business travellers who depend on the rail link from Zaventem airport are advised to budget at least an extra hour or to arrange taxi or ride-share alternatives.
![Five-Day National Rail Strike Begins, Forcing Companies to Activate Mobility Contingency Plans]()
For international visitors suddenly recalibrating their itineraries, travel-plan shifts can also raise questions about visa validity or Schengen-area stay limits. VisaHQ’s Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) lets travellers and corporate mobility teams run quick online checks, apply for extensions, or arrange courier pickup of passport documents—saving precious time while rail services remain unreliable.
International services are also affected. Eurostar has consolidated departures to one train every two hours, ICE has replaced some Brussels–Cologne services with buses, and Thalys has warned of “significant residual delays” even on trains that do operate. Companies running short-term projects in Belgium should update mobility policies to reimburse alternative transport and clarify whether time lost in transit counts as working time.
Looking ahead, labour analysts note that the unions deliberately chose the last week of January to maximise leverage before Parliament votes on the rail-reform bill in early February. If the reforms pass without amendments, insiders predict another strike wave in March. Global-mobility teams should therefore review emergency communication chains and confirm that assignees have portable e-ID readers or itsme® so they can sign remote-work agreements on short notice.
Initial commuter-flow data indicate severe disruption in the Brussels capital region, where HR consultancy SD Worx reports that 50 % of SMEs have opted for mandatory telework this week to maintain business continuity—compared with just 11 % in Flanders and 21 % in Wallonia. Brussels-based expats and business travellers who depend on the rail link from Zaventem airport are advised to budget at least an extra hour or to arrange taxi or ride-share alternatives.
For international visitors suddenly recalibrating their itineraries, travel-plan shifts can also raise questions about visa validity or Schengen-area stay limits. VisaHQ’s Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) lets travellers and corporate mobility teams run quick online checks, apply for extensions, or arrange courier pickup of passport documents—saving precious time while rail services remain unreliable.
International services are also affected. Eurostar has consolidated departures to one train every two hours, ICE has replaced some Brussels–Cologne services with buses, and Thalys has warned of “significant residual delays” even on trains that do operate. Companies running short-term projects in Belgium should update mobility policies to reimburse alternative transport and clarify whether time lost in transit counts as working time.
Looking ahead, labour analysts note that the unions deliberately chose the last week of January to maximise leverage before Parliament votes on the rail-reform bill in early February. If the reforms pass without amendments, insiders predict another strike wave in March. Global-mobility teams should therefore review emergency communication chains and confirm that assignees have portable e-ID readers or itsme® so they can sign remote-work agreements on short notice.
