Lokeren (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Lokeren City Council formally submitted a complaint to the NMBS railway company and the Infrabel railway manager. The railway service between Lokeren and Sint-Niklaas and Brussels stopped in December 2022.
Lokeren City Council has submitted a formal complaint to NMBS railway operators and Infrabel track management regarding their elimination of direct trains between Lokeren and Sint-Niklaas to Brussels.
Train passengers have endured multiple train changes at Dendermonde since December 2018, causing numerous missed connections and widespread commuting complaints. The city confronted NMBS and Infrabel with complaints that led to their demand for either a direct train service restoration or enhanced transfer pathway solutions.
“The complaints keep coming. Concerned commuters have indicated that they are often stuck in Dendermonde. There, they miss the connection to Brussels because there is too little time to get from one platform to the other. That causes chaotic situations, and we want a solution for that,”
Says Alderman Sabine Van Rysselberghe (Local Liberal).
The city has sent a letter of complaint to both Infrabel and NMBS.
“As a city, it doesn’t matter to us which agency, NMBS or Infrabel, can change something. We only want the problem to be addressed by either NMBS or Infrabel. That’s why we’ve sent a letter to both agencies,”
The city added.
“In the letter of complaint we clearly stated that we want a direct train connection to Brussels again. We are pushing for that. We understand that this may not be feasible in the short term, but then at least Dendermonde should look into making the connection to Brussels smoother. We want the connection to be smoother and easier and that the commuter has sufficient time to transfer,”
The alderman added.
According to the alderman, the Waasland transport region will soon be reassembled. In that transport region, various Waas cities and municipalities are meeting to discuss the mobility of their region.
“We will examine with the other cities and municipalities within the transport region what steps we can take further if a solution is not provided. Then we hope to force NMBS and Infrabel to take action,”
According to the alderman.
What is the background of the discontinued direct train services in Lokeren?
The NMBS and Infrabel revised transport plan took effect on December 2023 when they stopped offering direct trains from Lokeren to Sint-Niklaas and Brussels. The transport restructuring through Dendermonde required commuters to make an intermediate stop, negatively affecting many people. Annual railway statistics from Belgium show that 3.5 million people travelled between Brussels and the Waasland region until the change took effect.
Rail operations optimisation was the reason Infrabel removed the direct rail connection, although this change resulted in major passenger headaches. Alderman Sabine Van Rysselberghe noted,
“The complaints keep coming,”
Emphasising the chaotic transfer process in Dendermonde. The Waasland transport region, together with its member cities Lokeren and Sint-Niklaas, has depended on effective railway connectivity to Brussels to reach their education and employment opportunities.
