Regional rail strike brings two days of disruption

Rail services in Belgium are disrupted until the end of Tuesday evening because of regional strike action by SNCB train drivers and signal workers.

The worst disruption on Monday will be in the south-east of the country, around Liège, Namur and Luxembourg provinces - although a knock-on effect is likely to be felt elsewhere as rail services pass through several regions.

On Tuesday it is the turn of drivers in the south-west, around Hainaut province, to walk out on strike. The effect in Flanders should be relatively limited.

The SNCB says the strike action is "regrettable" and it will be updating passengers in real-time via its smartphone app and social media.

The protest by trade union CGSP-Cheminots is also disrupting some international train services.

No Thalys services will run on Tuesday between Belgium and the Netherlands or Germany. Affected passengers can apply for an exchange or refund at no cost. The link from Brussels to Lille and Paris is not affected.

Eurostar says its services will run as normal.

In Liège, TEC bus drivers are also on strike, with reports of about 200 demonstrators blocking the E40 motorway to the north of the city.