Belgian rail infrastructure manager Infrabel has unveiled a new pilot project at Brussels-North Railway Station aimed at tackling the persistent and dangerous problem of track trespassing, particularly in the capital.
Despite a slight decline in incidents – from 646 in 2024 to 583 in 2025 – trespassing remains the leading external cause of rail delays in Belgium. Last year alone, it resulted in an average of 4.5 hours of delays per day. The safety risks are severe: nine people lost their lives and three others were seriously injured in 2025.
The issue is especially acute in Brussels, where busy stations such as Brussels-North station, Brussels-South Railway Station, and Brussels-Central Railway Station recorded some of the highest numbers of incidents. In total, 55 cases were reported on the capital’s crucial North–South rail connection.
To address this, Infrabel has invested €75,000 in a pilot scheme combining physical and technological measures. At selected platforms in Brussels-North, barriers and trip mats have been installed to deter access to the tracks, alongside a ‘virtual barrier’ system using cameras with intrusion detection that automatically alert control rooms.
The urgency of the issue was highlighted by a filmed incident in which two individuals carrying a heavy suitcase crossed multiple tracks at Brussels-North. Their six-minute crossing forced a temporary halt to rail traffic, delaying 117 trains and triggering a knock-on effect of more than 15 hours of cumulative delays.
Infrabel notes that while there are 102 known trespassing hotspots across Belgium, the problem is increasingly concentrated within stations themselves. The pilot project is therefore designed not only to prevent access to the tracks but also to detect intrusions more quickly and limit disruption.
Trespassing carries strict penalties: offenders face fines of €300, rising to €500 for repeat offences.
NMBS / SNCB & Infrabel related news
- BELGIUM | Train operator NMBS / SNCB to end on-board ticket sales from 1 July 2026.
- BELGIUM | Access gates to be introduced in major railway stations, reversing earlier opposition.
- Rise of international trains puts pressure on the Belgian rail network: domestic services must not disappear.
- ANTWERP | Renovation of Linkeroever station to begin during spring half-term, rail services temporarily disrupted.
- Belgian Mobility Minister wants to revive direct train service to Switzerland.
- NMBS / SNCB & CAF for MR30 / AM30 electric multiple units signed.
- 2026 | Bpost marks 100 years of NMBS / SNCB with a stamp.
- Reorganising train travel in Belgium by 2050: going for the Swiss or the Dutch model?.
- BELGIUM | More than 9.5 million travellers took the train the summer of 2025.
- Hamont – Weert on foot, because the train connection still isn’t there.
- REVIEW | ‘Belgian Railways Under Occupation: Between Collaboration and Resistance’ at Train World in Brussels.
- NMBS / SNCB to apologize for involvement in WWII deportation transports.
- Antwerp-Berchem Railway Station up for major revamp.
- PHOTOS | AM66 ‘Klassiekje’ / ‘Classique’ Farewell Ride at Antwerp-Central Railway Station.
- Farewell to Mortsel-Deurnesteenweg.
Mentions