Belgium says late arrivals and delays on international trains crossing Belgium or serving Belgian cities are running late, and causing delays in the country’s own train service.
In general, the international trains have priority on the domestic network, and when they fall off schedule, they delay Belgian trains on the lines, or cause them to be held for connections. Belgian railway operator SNCB says its on-time record dropped last year from 88.3% to 87.2%.
The worst offenders, apparently were German-operated trains. Only 6 out of 10 of Germany’s ICE trains between Dusseldorf and Brussels operated on time last year. Eurostar, whose trains connect Brussels with London and Paris, is also a frequent offender.
When our son came for a visit to see us in the early 1990’s, he had to change trains in Hamburg which has many stations. He wasn’t sure where to get off, so he asked the German conductor. The conductor pointed to our son’s ticket and said your arrival time is 12:10, so at 12:10 get off the train and you will be at your correct station. Guess that doesn’t work anymore.
I think not. There have been recent discussions in Germany about DB’s worsening punctuality and plans to fix it…and some even worse issues. See this Gumbo piece from last year: https://www.travelgumbo.com/bl…t-trains-on-the-rise