Business travellers using the popular EuroCity direct service between Brussels, Antwerp, Rotterdam and Amsterdam faced unexpected detours over the weekend after Belgian rail infrastructure manager Infrabel closed tracks north-east of Brussels for urgent engineering works. The closure meant that all EuroCity trains bypassed Brussels Airport-Zaventem station from Saturday 31 January through Sunday 1 February 2026, forcing passengers to reroute via Antwerp or Mechelen.
SNCB International, which sells the cross-border service in cooperation with Nederlandse Spoorwegen, issued a travel bulletin late on 30 January warning of the disruption. Travellers holding tickets to or from the airport were allowed to board any domestic train between Zaventem and Antwerp or Mechelen without surcharge and to continue their journey on the next available EuroCity service. Despite the contingency plan, early-morning services saw standing-room-only crowds, and several corporate travellers reported missed connections at Rotterdam Centraal.
The works form part of a multi-year upgrade to the Diabolo rail tunnel that links the national network to the airport terminal. Infrabel engineers replaced signalling equipment and installed new overhead lines designed to support higher-frequency services planned for the 2027 timetable. Similar closures are scheduled from 7 to 13 February, when EuroCity trains will also skip Brussels-Central and Brussels-North.
![Engineering works force EuroCity trains to skip Brussels Airport 31 Jan–1 Feb 2026]()
While timetable changes can throw off even the best-planned journey, visa issues can halt a trip before it starts. VisaHQ’s Brussels team helps business travellers secure Belgian and wider Schengen visas quickly, offers real-time tracking, and arranges convenient document pick-up or delivery—ideal when routes change at the last minute. Find out more at https://www.visahq.com/belgium/
For global mobility managers the message is clear: factor rail engineering windows into travel policies just as you would planned airline strikes. Companies with regional hubs in the Netherlands or northern Germany often route staff through Brussels Airport because of its extensive long-haul network; when rail links are cut, door-to-door travel times can increase by an hour or more. Employers should also remind assignees that Belgian domestic tickets must be purchased separately if the airport segment is not covered by the original international booking.
SNCB International recommends that passengers check the live disruption page and sign up for push alerts a few days before departure. EuroCity tickets issued for 31 January or 1 February remain refundable or exchangeable without penalty until 14 February, but only if processed through the original point of sale. Travellers who incurred taxi or hotel costs because of the detour can submit claims under EU Regulation 1371/2007, although compensation for delays caused by infrastructure works is capped at 25 per cent of the ticket price for delays over 60 minutes.
SNCB International, which sells the cross-border service in cooperation with Nederlandse Spoorwegen, issued a travel bulletin late on 30 January warning of the disruption. Travellers holding tickets to or from the airport were allowed to board any domestic train between Zaventem and Antwerp or Mechelen without surcharge and to continue their journey on the next available EuroCity service. Despite the contingency plan, early-morning services saw standing-room-only crowds, and several corporate travellers reported missed connections at Rotterdam Centraal.
The works form part of a multi-year upgrade to the Diabolo rail tunnel that links the national network to the airport terminal. Infrabel engineers replaced signalling equipment and installed new overhead lines designed to support higher-frequency services planned for the 2027 timetable. Similar closures are scheduled from 7 to 13 February, when EuroCity trains will also skip Brussels-Central and Brussels-North.
While timetable changes can throw off even the best-planned journey, visa issues can halt a trip before it starts. VisaHQ’s Brussels team helps business travellers secure Belgian and wider Schengen visas quickly, offers real-time tracking, and arranges convenient document pick-up or delivery—ideal when routes change at the last minute. Find out more at https://www.visahq.com/belgium/
For global mobility managers the message is clear: factor rail engineering windows into travel policies just as you would planned airline strikes. Companies with regional hubs in the Netherlands or northern Germany often route staff through Brussels Airport because of its extensive long-haul network; when rail links are cut, door-to-door travel times can increase by an hour or more. Employers should also remind assignees that Belgian domestic tickets must be purchased separately if the airport segment is not covered by the original international booking.
SNCB International recommends that passengers check the live disruption page and sign up for push alerts a few days before departure. EuroCity tickets issued for 31 January or 1 February remain refundable or exchangeable without penalty until 14 February, but only if processed through the original point of sale. Travellers who incurred taxi or hotel costs because of the detour can submit claims under EU Regulation 1371/2007, although compensation for delays caused by infrastructure works is capped at 25 per cent of the ticket price for delays over 60 minutes.
