More than one in ten trains in Belgium failed to arrive on time in March, causing Belgian commuters further frustration at a time when road traffic in the country's major cities is becoming increasingly congested.
According to data published on Wednesday by Infrabel and reported on by Belga News Agency, only 87.9% of trains arrived at their final destination within six minutes of their scheduled arrival time last month: a slight increase compared to February (86.2%) but a decline relative to March 2022 (89.9%).
However, these figures do not take into account cancelled trains. Last month, 3,999 train journeys were totally or partially cancelled in Belgium, corresponding to roughly 4% of all scheduled trips. Accounting for cancelled journeys, train punctuality dropped to 85.1% in March, compared to 82.4% in February.
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The published data also indicate that, over the whole of 2022, the punctuality of trains (not including those that were cancelled) decreased to 89.2% — the first time since 2018 that annual train punctuality has fallen below 90%.
The current state of trains falling behind schedule is likely due to a confluence of factors, including strikes, staff shortages, and pedestrians trespassing on train tracks. On Tuesday morning, multiple trains were delayed as a result of smoke caused by a faulty hand dryer in the toilets at Brussels Central Station.
The Federal Government is currently aiming to achieve a minimum train punctuality of 90.6% by 2027 and 91% by 2032.
