SNCB vows to make amends over Holocaust trains

Belgium’s rail operator SNCB will carry out several measures and make a public apology for its use of trains that from 1942 to 1944 deported thousands of Jews and Roma - most to their eventual deaths in concentration camps.

SNCB chief executive Sophie Dutordoir told the Belgian Senate that the SNCB would work on the recommendations of the Groupe des Sages report on the role of the railway company during the second world war.

It has already announced events, notably a temporary exhibition on the deportation trains from September 2025 to June 2026, at Brussels’ iconic Train World museum in Schaerbeek. This will be accompanied by conferences, educational initiatives and a special website.

Dutordoir reiterated SNCB’s willingness to apologise, and that she has approached HR Rail and Infrabel so that a collective apology can be made.

“HR Rail [the legal employer for all employees of the Belgian railways] has responded positively, Infrabel [responsible for all aspects of the railways’ infrastructure] wants to look into the matter further,” she said.

“It seems to me that we are living at a time when collective apologies, in the context of collective responsibility for a collective past, are on the agenda.

"Again, in the context of this collective historical responsibility, we also thought it appropriate to seek the authorisation of the Belgian state for this.

"In collaboration with other bodies, the SNCB is determined to shed light on these dark pages in our history, with the great hope that this will never happen again," she added.

Between 1942 and 1944, the SNCB deported more than 25,500 Jews and Roma. In addition, almost 190,000 Belgians were subjected to forced labour and more than 16,000 political prisoners were also transported by the railway company.

The Groupe des Sages was mandated to carry out work in three areas: making the truth known, ensuring that this is passed on and proposing forms of reparation.

Composed of 12 members with varied backgrounds in terms of gender, age, language and profile, the group met behind closed doors on ten occasions between March and November 2024. It worked completely independently, with logistical support from the Senate.