Infrabel apologises for train cancellations during Car-Free Sunday

Belgian railway infrastructure manager Infrabel has apologised for a long-scheduled 48-hour maintenance programme that ended up coinciding with Brussels’ Car-Free Sunday, causing service disruptions on a day where demand for trains is typically higher.

Car-Free Sunday has been increasing in popularity in recent years, with Belgians flocking to the capital from Flanders and Wallonia in order to enjoy full reign of the city’s streets without car exhaust or traffic jams.

But three train lines were completely out of service all weekend due to the planned engineering works, namely those linking Brussels-Midi to Nivelles, Brussels-Luxembourg to Ottignies and Jette to Opwijk.

“For nearly a quarter of a century, the Brussels region has been organising a car-free day on the third Sunday in September. If anyone wanted to sabotage this successful Brussels and European initiative, they could hardly have gone about it any differently,” said Jacques Ponjée, president of the Groupement des Usagers des Transports Publics à Bruxelles (GUTIB).

“This is clearly an oversight on the part of Infrabel, which will have very inconvenient consequences for rail passengers.”

While diversion routes and replacement buses were in place, travelling to Brussels took significantly longer as a result of the works. In Etterbeek, there was just one train per hour instead of three, whilst for Germoir, Boondael, Vivier d'Oie and Saint-Job, the number of trains was halved.

The lack of service was especially disruptive as a result of two other major events taking place in Brussels over the weekend: the 50th anniversary of the metro and Heritage Day.

“It’s unfortunate,” Infrabel spokesperson Jessica Nibelle told RTBF.

“We apologise for the inconvenience. This combination of circumstances has been passed on to the planners. We will learn from the situation in 2026 to ensure it doesn’t happen again in the coming years.”

Nibelle emphasised that it was challenging to create maintenance schedules for the rail network.

“Work is planned three to four years in advance,” said Nibelle.

“It’s a real headache every year, as we have to take major events into account, such as festivals, for example. We also have to ensure that the network isn’t completely blocked.

"We mainly carry out work at weekends and during school holidays to minimise disruption to rail passengers."

But GUTIB remained critical of Infrabel’s planning error: “We fully understand the constraints in terms of planning, but we consider it essential that timetables take into account local events that are known, at the very least, from one year to the next.”

The works between Jette and Dendermonde are spread over three years (2025, 2026 and 2027). Between Asse and Opwijk in Flemish Brabant, the rails and sleepers are being replaced this year. In total, 80,000 sleepers and 96 kilometres of rails will be replaced, representing an investment of over €17 million.

“These are very extensive works that were already planned four years ago,” Infrabel spokesperson Frédéric Petit said.

“There are significant operational and technical considerations involved, which mean we cannot simply reschedule these works. Among other things, we have to take into account the availability of heavy machinery.

"This work is absolutely essential, as the railway line is reaching the end of its service life. It’s also planned several years in advance according to a sort of rotation system to avoid overburdening the national rail network."

This year’s edition of Car-Free Sunday otherwise took place largely without incident.

Between 9.30 and 19.00, emergency services carried out a total of 187 medical interventions, 43 of which took place on public roads, mainly involving falls from bicycles or scooters.

The most significant incident concerned a child on foot who was struck by a taxi on Avenue de Stalingrad at about 15.00.

The child was seriously injured and was taken to the hospital, where their condition has since stabilised.

The taxi driver underwent alcohol and drug tests, both of which were negative. The incident is now under investigation.

“Traditionally, this day brings an increase in activity for our emergency medical services,” Brussels fire brigade spokesperson Walter Derieuw said.

“During Car-Free Sunday, we also note that some sick or injured people who, on a normal day, would make their own way to A&E, call on an ambulance to take them to hospital.”