Train traffic is expected to be heavily interrupted across Belgium on Thursday due to the approaching Storm Ciarán, which is expected to bring winds of up to 110 km/h.
The Royal Meteorological Institute (RMI) has issued code yellow in Belgium for Thursday. Code orange will also apply to West Flanders from 07:00 to 21:00 throughout the day as winds in the region are expected to be stronger. The helpline 1722 for storm and water damage has also been activated.
As Storm Ciarán passes through the country, no trains will run between Bruges and the Belgian coast, between Lichtervelde and De Panne and between Kortrijk and Poperinge all day on Thursday. Trains will be cancelled in both directions, railway infrastructure manager Infrabel reported.
Infrabel is now "taking measures to ensure the safety of train traffic." National rail company SNCB also announced on its website that traffic across the country will be heavily disrupted.
"On Thursday 2 November, due to expected stormy weather and for safety reasons, train traffic will be severely disrupted across the network," SNCB wrote. "We advise you to plan your journey just before your departure via our website or the SNCB app."
A storm in Brussels. Credit: Belga / Olivier Vin
The entire railway network will be subject to a speed limit of 80 km/h, apart from high-speed lines which will be limited to 160 km/h. Infrabel hopes to lift this speed restriction from 18:00 on Thursday evening, provided weather conditions improve.
Regional public transport operators in Wallonia (TEC), Flanders (De Lijn) and Brussels (STIB) have not announced disruptions of their services as of yet. Airports in Belgium have also not communicated disruptions to flights.
Disruption in neighbouring countries
Meteorologists from several European countries are closely monitoring the storm's development. France and Spain were the first to declare code red on Wednesday for powerful winds and storms.
In France, national railway operator SNCF confirmed that certain trains would be cancelled in Normandy, Brittany, Pays de Loire, Hauts de France and Centre Val de Loire. This will run from 22:00 on Wednesday until the end of Thursday.
"In anticipation of the strong winds that will be blowing across northwestern France, and to guarantee the safety of passengers, many trains will not be running," it noted.
Eurostar also notified passengers on its website that traffic may be disrupted due to weather conditions in France. "We advise you to postpone your journey if possible," it noted.
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In the Netherlands, people have been advised to work from home on Thursday as the strong winds and rainfall brought by Storm Ciarán may cause long traffic jams, the national road service reported on Wednesday. A similar warning has not been made in Belgium.
The United Kingdom's national weather service has also announced yellow and amber weather warnings for the storm from Wednesday until Friday. This is expected to affect journeys across Wales and southern England on Wednesday and Thursday, and across northeastern England on Thursday and Friday.
