345 complaints about trains leaving too early

The number of complaints made to the SNCB about trains running too early has almost doubled between 2012 and 2015.

Last year, the railway company received 345 complaints for trains departing earlier than the allocated time, in comparison with 189 complaints in 2012. Some 229 complaints were made in 2013, and 243 in 2014.

“When a train leaves too early, it is often due to carelessness of the train staff,” explained mobility minister Francois Bellot in a written response to MP Veli Yuksel (CD&V).

Yuksel had emphasised the importance of punctuality in a letter to Bellot, writing: “If the train is to be a valuable alternative to the car, then commuters have to rely on the schedule. Nothing is more annoying than missing a connection and having to wait for the next train.

“Delays at the SNCB are unacceptable, but it is also the case for trains departing early. Train attendants who are repeatedly at fault must be addressed.”