Ostend and NMBS agree on notification system to coast

SNCB plans extra trains to the coast from Wednesday, but they were first refused by Tommelein. He wants to avoid the chaos of last Friday, when hundreds of travelers were packed at Ostend station, at all costs. After consultation, there is still an agreement between the railway company and the mayor.

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“There will be a robust safety plan, stronger proactive communication and awareness to encourage the rail passenger to use the app and sign up for a train to get information about the prospects,” Tommelein said via Twitter.

So there will be a registration system, which travelers can use voluntarily. ‘You can enter via the SNCB app that you want to take the train from Brussels to Ostend at 11 am and the train in the opposite direction at 7 pm,’ says the mayor. The newspapaer. “As soon as you have registered, SNCB will be able to send you information: how busy it is, whether there are delays and so on.” That system is not new, but will now be promoted even more.

The passenger flows to Kortrijk, Antwerp and Brussels will also be physically separated. “If there is a problem, the distance can be kept. That seems to be the most important thing, ‘Tommelein told VRT.

In addition, there will also be a large information board on the station square, and SNCB will communicate with travelers via social media and the app. The police will deploy additional troops. From tomorrow, extra trains will therefore be deployed to the coast.

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