Train services between Ottignies and Brussels-Schuman will be completely suspended from 26 April to 5 May due to ongoing RER construction.
The announcement was made in a statement from the Belgian National Railway Company (SNCB/MNBS) and network manager, Infrabel.
During the nine-day period, InterCity (IC) trains will be rerouted through Leuven, extending the journey time slightly, while local trains will be replaced by buses between Ottignies and Brussels-Luxembourg. The SNCB advises travellers to plan their journeys using the company’s mobile app or website.
Technicians from Infrabel and its subsidiary, TUC RAIL, will focus on connecting new tracks to existing ones at both ends of the route through a network of switches.
Work trains will also lay hundreds of tonnes of ballast between the stations of Boitsfort and Watermael. Technical teams will install catenary cables to power the new tracks, and make final adjustments to railway signalling systems.
Lastly, fire detection, water supply, and lighting systems will be installed in the covered trench at Boitsfort.
"In mid-June, trains will be able to use four tracks over half of the route, from Watermael to the La Hulpe station entrance," Infrabel states.
