Dendermonde (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Train traffic between Dendermonde and Brussels was disrupted after an ETCS update (Sept 7-8, 2025) caused false emergency stops. 4 trains halted; Thomas Baeken (Infrabel) confirmed repairs.
As VRT News reported, this morning, Sep 11, 2025, train traffic between Dendermonde and Brussels was disrupted after another train broke down on the line. The incident follows problems that started last weekend, when Infrabel carried out an update of its European Train Control System.
The ETCS is a safety system that monitors trains at all times. It checks both speed and position and applies the brakes automatically if needed. After the update, the system began to misinterpret signals. This led to emergency stops being activated even when there was no real risk on the track.
What caused 4 trains to halt near Dendermonde after the ETCS update?
This has caused 4 trains to halt in recent days. Each time, passengers faced delays and rail operations were heavily affected. Infrabel states that safety has never been in danger because the system reacts cautiously, but it admits the disruptions are serious.
Every time the train safety systems intervened to stop a train, the delay lasted approximately 20 to 30 minutes, says Infrabel representative Thomas Baeken. When a train stops there, the gates close for longer than most crossings.
After about 10 minutes, the barriers enter an alert mode, which keeps the warning signals active. This situation not only blocked passing vehicles but also created long queues and caused heavy disruption for road traffic around the station.
Technicians were sent to the site on Thursday afternoon, Sep 4, 2025, to repair the fault, and Infrabel reported that progress was made quickly. The company announced that the malfunction is almost fully resolved.
“We’ve addressed the issues. As far as we can tell, all the problems have been resolved. But we’re monitoring the situation there,”
Says Baeken.
The ETCS system has been systematically deployed in Belgium’s rail network since 2016 as part of European safety standards. Infrabel has been making steps to upgrade the ETCS system in phases, intending to remove everything dated by the 2025 deadline. The most recent upgrade was accomplished between the weekend of 7 and 8 September 2025 as part of that national program.
