Train passengers in Belgium will now be able to see why trains are running late if the delay is 90 seconds or longer.
Railway operators SNCB and Infrabel will now publish all data for "minor delays" via the online platform Opendata. Since 2007, the reason for a delay was only made public if it related to a "significant incident".
"In practical terms, we are no longer just taking into account delays caused by major incidents," SNCB explained in a press release. "Added to this are all the 'minor' delays [such as] the slightly delayed departure of a train, traffic regulation problems, a large number of passengers on the platform (prolonging boarding) or an unplanned crossing with another train."
System is 'very fragile'
In making the data accessible to all, SNCB and Infrabel hope to draw attention to structural issues in Belgium's railway network.
While external factors such as accidents, intrusions on the tracks, and the impact of delays abroad (as well as technical and material errors on the part of SNCB and Infrabel themselves) have always been considered the main culprits behind delays in Belgium, SNCB says the railway network "lacks robustness" and is "very fragile", especially during peak hours.
"Over the last ten years, the number of scheduled trains has increased by 10% and the number of passengers by 18%, on a network that has not been proportionally extended."
The operator says that infrastructure is unable to cope with demand, and minor delays can create a "snowball effect". With the new data processing method, it is hoped that a "clearer view" of large-scale delays will be achieved.
