Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper): Train Tram Bus protested at Mortsel-Oude-God station because half of the weekday InterCity trains will be cut, leaving only one per hour. Chairman Peter Meukens said this is not enough for commuters.
Train Tram Bus, a passenger group, recently protested changes to train services at Mortsel-Oude-God station. Due to a new train, half of the weekday services will be cut. Peter Meukens, the group’s chairman, called this decision “unheard of.” He mentioned that Mortsel will only have one InterCity train per hour to Antwerp and Brussels, raising concerns that the station won’t be able to meet the needs of commuters between these cities.
How Will Cuts to Mortsel-Oude-God Train Services Impact Brussels Commuters?
It has been said that local trains from Mortsel-Liersesteenweg station will still run, but they will be very slow, making it hard for commuters to reach Brussels quickly. There will be two S-trains per hour, but Peter Meukens said their slow speed is not helpful for passengers. This cut in fast trains and the slow local ones has frustrated many commuters who depend on the train network for fast travel. He mentioned that the protest shows that people are worried these changes could affect public transport for Mortsel residents.
Train Tram Bus handed out pamphlets at Mortsel-Oude-God station on 10 December Tuesday morning. The pamphlet had a QR code for people to send complaints to the NMBS. Peter Meukens said it doesn’t make sense for the NMBS to want 30 percent more passengers while reducing train services on a busy line. He compared Mortsel to Thalwil in Switzerland, which has fewer people but many more train riders because it has more trains. Meukens thinks that adding more trains in Mortsel could help bring in more passengers.
