Three-day closure for Brussels North-South rail link

No trains will run through central Brussels for three days over the May Day weekend, as Belgium's busiest stretch of railway undergoes signalling works aimed at improving reliability.

The shutdown from 29 April to 1 May is the biggest of its kind on the Brussels North-South line in 30 years, the SNCB and railtrack operator Infrabel said.

It is the last phase in ongoing work to upgrade the signalling equipment on the congested rail link, which handles 1,200 trains a day.

The new technology should make it possible to reduce the gaps between trains - and the three-day closure will allow for safety tests to be carried out on empty trains.

Amsterdam-to-Paris Thalys services will circumvent Brussels via the West Station. Other intercity trains from Amsterdam will only go as far as Brussels Airport.

Germany-bound Thalys trains will be diverted through Liège. Eurostars from Brussels-Midi are unaffected.