New timetable will bring more frequent suburban services, earlier and later trains and stronger weekend connections across Belgium
NMBS / SNCB is set to expand its train offer substantially over the next three years, with almost 600 additional trains a week and improved services at 178 stations. The changes will be introduced in three stages, beginning in December 2026 and continuing through December 2027 and December 2028.
The new 2026–2029 transport plan is the latest step in NMBS / SNCB’s public service contract with the Belgian Federal Government. The contract calls for a 10% increase in the train offer and 30% growth in passenger numbers by 2032.
The changes announced over recent weeks show a particular focus on suburban S-trains, weekend services, earlier and later trains, and connections to Brussels Airport.
December 2026: more S-trains and later services
The first stage will begin with the December 2026 timetable, with the changes entering service from 13 December in most of Flanders and the Brussels-Capital Region and 14 December on the Walloon network.
One of the most significant changes will be around Brussels and Ottignies. Following the completion of the four-track RER infrastructure between Brussels and Ottignies, the S4 service between Aalst, Brussels and Louvain-la-Neuve will run twice an hour all the way to Louvain-la-Neuve on weekdays. This means four S-trains an hour between Brussels and Louvain-la-Neuve, while stations including Etterbeek, Groenendaal and Hoeilaart will benefit from substantially more frequent services.
On Saturdays, the S8 between Brussels, Ottignies and Louvain-la-Neuve will also run twice an hour. Additional late S8 services will operate on Friday and Saturday evenings, with departures from central Brussels continuing after midnight.
The S5 between Halle, Brussels and Vilvoorde will also be doubled on Saturdays, while a new station, Braine-Alliance (Verbondbrakel…?), will open between Braine-l’Alleud and Lillois, receiving an hourly service seven days a week.
Elsewhere, NMBS / SNCB is extending the operating day and strengthening regional connections. In Antwerp province, weekday peak services between Mol and Antwerp will increase to two S-trains an hour in each direction, alongside the existing hourly IC service. An extra early train will leave Antwerp-Central for Puurs at 05:13.
In East Flanders, the S4 between Aalst and Louvain-la-Neuve will also run twice an hour, while a late S-train from Brussels to Zottegem will run shortly after midnight on Friday and Saturday nights.
In West Flanders, the weekend IC service between Bruges and Kortrijk will increase from every two hours to hourly, giving two trains an hour between the two cities when combined with the existing Ostend to Brussels Airport service. There will also be earlier and later Sunday trains between De Panne and Ghent.
Limburg: earlier and later trains around Hasselt
In Limburg, NMBS / SNCB will focus on extending the operating hours of trains to and from Hasselt, while also increasing the frequency between Hasselt and Genk.
The changes are part of the wider 2026–2029 transport plan and reflect one of its recurring themes: providing more trains outside traditional peak hours while strengthening connections between major regional centres.
Wallonia
In Wallonia, the first Mons to Quévy L train will run an hour earlier, while services between Libramont and Bertrix will operate later in the evening. Around Liège, the S42 will run two hours later into the evening, with the last train reaching Liège-Guillemins at 00:02 instead of 22:02. The last IC to Eupen will also run an hour later, while the Verviers to Spa service will start earlier and finish later.
The plan also introduces earlier services in Namur province, including a new P train from Namur to Gembloux from 05:33, while the Namur to Dinant service will run an hour later in the evening.
December 2027: Brussels Airport gets a major boost
The second phase, in December 2027, will put particular emphasis on early-morning services to Brussels Airport.
New trains will run from Bruges, Ghent and Brussels early enough to serve passengers travelling on the first flights of the day. The first train will leave Brussels-South at around 03:13 and reach Brussels Airport at 03:36. From Bruges, the first airport-bound train will leave at 02:11, while the first from Ghent St Peter’s will leave at 02:41.
These trains will operate seven days a week and call at the main Brussels stations, providing an earlier rail option for both air passengers and airport employees.
There will also be new weekend services linking Leuven, Brussels, Brussels Airport and Bruges, including later evening trains.
At the same time, NMBS / SNCB will strengthen peak-hour services between Brussels and Namur and between Brussels and Charleroi.
On the Belgian Coast and in West Flanders, a new weekday direct IC service will link Kortrijk, Bruges and Knokke, giving three trains an hour between Kortrijk and Bruges and two an hour between Bruges and Knokke.
In eastern Belgium, the L15 between Liers, Liège and Marloie will run hourly rather than every two hours at weekends. Around Liège, the Namur–Huy–Liège omnibus will become part of the S network as the new S45, running every half-hour between Huy and Liège on weekdays and hourly at weekends.
December 2028: more weekend trains
The final phase will concentrate heavily on weekend frequency.
The most significant change will be on the Walloon backbone, where Saturday IC services between Mons, La Louvière, Charleroi, Namur, Huy and Liège will double from hourly to every 30 minutes.
Between Leuven and Hasselt, a new weekend L service will provide a third train per hour, serving the intermediate stations. The existing IC will become faster by no longer stopping at the smaller intermediate stations.
The S3 between Geraardsbergen and Brussels-North will be extended to Dendermonde on Saturdays, providing a second S-train per hour between Brussels and Dendermonde. The extension will serve stations including Zellik, Asse, Mollem, Merchtem, and Opwijk.
In Hainaut, the S64 between Charleroi, Walcourt, and Couvin will become hourly on Saturdays instead of every two hours.
More trains between Belgium’s major cities
The plan is not simply about suburban services around Brussels. NMBS / SNCB is also increasing frequencies on several intercity corridors.
In Antwerp province, the Mol–Antwerp corridor gets more peak-hour S trains from December 2026, while Noorderkempen will gain an earlier direct connection to Mechelen and Brussels Airport from December 2027.
In West Flanders, the new weekday Kortrijk–Bruges–Knokke IC will strengthen connections along the main east-west corridor. Between Bruges and Kortrijk, this will mean three trains per hour on weekdays from December 2027.
The weekend network also receives considerable attention. Besides the new Leuven–Hasselt service and the additional Brussels–Dendermonde S3, NMBS / SNCB will increase frequencies between several major cities, including the Walloon backbone and the Bruges–Kortrijk corridor.
Earlier and later trains become a recurring theme
One of the clearest themes of the new timetable is an expansion of the operating hours, rather than simply adding trains during traditional peak periods.
There will be earlier trains towards Brussels Airport, earlier regional services from Namur and Mons, and later trains around Brussels, Liège, Zottegem, Eupen, Spa and Libramont.
The changes also target passengers travelling outside conventional commuting hours. Friday and Saturday evening S-trains around Brussels will run later, while several regional and intercity services will receive later departures.
Stations also receive investment
The timetable expansion is accompanied by a substantial programme of station investment.
Across Belgium, NMBS / SNCB plans to increase the number of bicycle parking spaces to 164,000 and car parking spaces to 80,000 by 2032. It also aims to increase the number of stations that are independently accessible to passengers with reduced mobility to 176.
During 2026–2029, accessibility works are planned at stations including Mechelen, Tienen, Sint-Genesius-Rode, Schaerbeek, Etterbeek, Brussels-Central, Bockstael, Charleroi-Central, Eupen, Huy, Namur and Kortrijk.
Bicycle parking will also be expanded at numerous stations, including Turnhout, Essen, and Puurs, as well as Bruges, Knokke, Ostend, Ghent, Lokeren, Sint-Niklaas, Zottegem and several stations around Brussels.
The timetable depends on infrastructure and rolling stock
NMBS / SNCB stresses that the timetable expansion depends on more than its own operations. The additional services require sufficient capacity from Infrabel, completion of infrastructure works, recruitment of staff and timely delivery of new rolling stock.
The operator also warns that the timetable remains dependent on capacity requests from other railway operators.
Nevertheless, NMBS / SNCB says the planned extensions are currently considered feasible. The first changes will be visible in its journey planner and app from 28 September 2026, ahead of their introduction in December.
Overall, the 2026–2029 NMBS / SNCB transport plan is less about one major new route than about gradually increasing frequencies, extending operating hours and filling gaps in the weekend and early-morning timetable. The biggest network-wide changes are the expanded Brussels S network, the new early-morning Brussels Airport trains from December 2027, and the stronger weekend intercity network scheduled for 2028.
NMBS / SNCB & Infrabel related news
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- NMBS / SNCB turns 100 on 23 July and holds nationwide celebrations in the coming months.
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- Brussels to Coast trains to include uniformed and plain-clothed police.
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- NMBS / SNCB expands summer train services to coast, tourist attractions and festivals.
- NMBS / SNCB: Ticket checks possible on the platform before embarking the train, no on-board sales from 1 July 2026.
- TGV inOui Brussels – Strasbourg – Basel from July 2027.
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- ANTWERP-LINKEROEVER | Average of 530 people take the train at Linkeroever on weekdays.
- NMBS / SNCB: Train travel gains popularity as fuel prices rise.
- NMBS / SNCB ends mandatory gender registration for online ticket purchases.
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- PHOTOS | Presenting Antwerp-Linkeroever Railway Station anno 2026.
- NMBS / SNCB introduces boarding zones on platforms to further improve passenger experience.
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- Antwerp-Linkeroever Railway Station (re)opens on Saturday 2 May.
- BELGIUM | Infrabel launches Brussels pilot to curb dangerous track trespassing.
- 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.
