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Belgian rail strike on 12 October: fewer trains to Brussels and Paris

By · · Checked 10 October 2026
EuroCity train with a TRAXX locomotive at Brussels-Midi/Zuid in Belgium, archive photograph from December 2024Train

Travelling to Belgium or via Brussels to Paris on Monday 12 October? Expect fewer trains and a different departure station. NS International reports a Belgian strike from Sunday 11 October at 22:00 until Monday 12 October at 22:00, affecting rail services in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Eurocity Direct starts and ends in Rotterdam

EuroCity and Eurocity Direct will run a reduced service. During this adjustment, Eurocity Direct will not call at Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam Zuid, Almere Centrum, Almere Buiten or Lelystad Centrum. Rotterdam Centraal becomes its starting and final station.

Booked Eurocity Direct from or to one of those stations? NS International says your ticket can be used on domestic NS trains for the journey to or from Rotterdam Centraal.

Fewer Eurostars between Brussels and Paris

Eurostar will run fewer trains between Brussels and Paris on 12 October. Other regional trains to, from and through Belgium are also expected to run a reduced service. Do not assume your usual connection will be available.

What can you do with your ticket?

  • EuroCity or Eurocity Direct on 12 October: your ticket is valid on either train type that day, without exchanging it first.
  • A day earlier or later: a ticket for 12 October can also be used on 11 or 13 October, but only on the train type you originally booked.
  • Eurostar and TGV: these tickets do not receive that flexible validity. Different conditions and fees may apply to changes or cancellations.
  • Cancelling a train that will not run: NS International says cancelled EuroCity and Eurocity Direct trains can be cancelled through My NSI without a cancellation fee. Customer service may charge a service fee.

Your ticket barcode may not open Dutch station gates on a different travel date. Use the blue information button at the gates to ask for help.

Check the notice as well as the journey planner

NS International lists specific cancelled EuroCity trains in its strike notice and warns that the journey planner has not yet been fully updated. Read the current strike notice, then check your journey again shortly before departure in the app or journey planner. Allow for the reduced service when planning a connection.

Archive note (22 October 2026): this article concerns 12 October 2026. The original NS notice is no longer available at its source URL; the attribution and original verification date are retained below.

Credits

Source: NS International – Belgian strike on 12 October, including expanded ticket rules and timetable information; checked against the Dutch notice on 10 October 2026.

Archive photograph: EuroCity train at Brussels-Midi/Zuid, Belgium, 19 December 2024, by RAIL EXCELLENCE 96 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Original photograph unchanged; cropped for display. The photograph does not show the strike. Trademark and logo rights remain with their respective owners.