The railway sector must save €50 million this year, with €45 million of these cuts by the NMBS, according to reports in L’Echo and De Tijd on Saturday.
The total savings required by the railways until 2029 amount to €675 million, a figure raised by the rail unions during recent strikes. This year’s target of €50 million will increase gradually to €250 million by 2029.
In 2026, the savings will rise to €100 million, followed by €125 million in 2027, and €150 million in 2028.
The NMBS must save €45 million this year, with €41 million of this coming from the fixed operating subsidy provided by the government. The remaining €9 million will be divided equally between NMBS and rail network manager Infrabel.
Neither NMBS nor Infrabel have commented on how these savings will be achieved. However, Infrabel’s investments must remain unaffected according to government directives, to prevent network components from ageing.
