Changed Itinerary in Belgium and Passenger Rights

[Full Standing]

A question on train travel in Belgium and Germany.

Recently, my father was travelling from Bruxelles-Midi (Belgium) to Aachen (Germany). I bought his ticket on b-europe.com. It was bought in conjunction with an Eurostar ticket bought in the same transaction, but this need not matter for this case.

What we got was, besides the Eurostar ticket, a FLEX ADULT ticket from SNCB from Brux-Midi to Aachen Hbf via Vise (fr.). When booking the ticket, I selected the following itinerary on b-europe.com (travel date September 30, 2026), which is also reflected in the booking confirmation mail:

20:56 Bruxelles-Midi (IC train via Leuven)
21:59 Liège-Guillemins

22:08 Liège-Guillemins (RE 18 train via Maastricht)
23:42 Aachen Hbf

Since buying the ticket, the timetable changed due to construction works (which we only noted yesterday), and the connection changed as follows:

20:56 Bruxelles-Midi (IC train via Leuven)
21:59 Liège-Guillemins

22:08 Liège-Guillemins
22:26 Vise

22:36 Vise (Bus)
23:06 Maastricht

23:54 Maastricht (RE 18 train)
00:42 Aachen Hbf

Sadly, the train from Brussels was late and he missed the connection in Liège. SNCB staff let him stay on the IC train all the way to Welkenraedt, but they said that getting him to Aachen is not SNCB's problem, as he should have travelled earlier as his ticket was flexible (in particular, it did not stipulate a specific connection). Well, even if he wanted to, he could not have travelled earlier as he was travelling from Inverkeithing (Scotland, north of the Forth Bridge...) that day.

He then took a taxi from Welkenraedt to Aachen at his own expense. I am a bit puzzled here. Are SNCB really in the right here? To be fair to SNCB, however, they helped him to book a taxi, but he had to pay for the ride himself. And, had he not missed the connection in Liège, and got to Aachen at 00:42, would he be entitled to delay repay?

 

[AdamWW]

A question on train travel in Belgium and Germany.

Recently, my father was travelling from Bruxelles-Midi (Belgium) to Aachen (Germany). I bought his ticket on b-europe.com. It was bought in conjunction with an Eurostar ticket bought in the same transaction, but this need not matter for this case.

What we got was, besides the Eurostar ticket, a FLEX ADULT ticket from SNCB from Brux-Midi to Aachen Hbf via Vise (fr.). When booking the ticket, I selected the following itinerary on b-europe.com (travel date September 30, 2026), which is also reflected in the booking confirmation mail:

20:56 Bruxelles-Midi (IC train via Leuven)
21:59 Liège-Guillemins

22:08 Liège-Guillemins (RE 18 train via Maastricht)
23:42 Aachen Hbf

Since buying the ticket, the timetable changed due to construction works (which we only noted yesterday), and the connection changed as follows:

20:56 Bruxelles-Midi (IC train via Leuven)
21:59 Liège-Guillemins

22:08 Liège-Guillemins
22:26 Vise

22:36 Vise (Bus)
23:06 Maastricht

23:54 Maastricht (RE 18 train)
00:42 Aachen Hbf

Sadly, the train from Brussels was late and he missed the connection in Liège. SNCB staff let him stay on the IC train all the way to Welkenraedt, but they said that getting him to Aachen is not SNCB's problem, as he should have travelled earlier as his ticket was flexible (in particular, it did not stipulate a specific connection). Well, even if he wanted to, he could not have travelled earlier as he was travelling from Inverkeithing (Scotland, north of the Forth Bridge...) that day.

He then took a taxi from Welkenraedt to Aachen at his own expense. I am a bit puzzled here. Are SNCB really in the right here? To be fair to SNCB, however, they helped him to book a taxi, but he had to pay for the ride himself. And, had he not missed the connection in Liège, and got to Aachen at 00:42, would he be entitled to delay repay?

This doesn't sound in accordance with the law as I understand it. I don't think there is a get-out on the grounds that someone shouldn't be trying to use the last connection on the day on an itinerary offered by the railway.

The logic that on a flexible ticket it's possible to travel earlier is also curious. I don't think SNCB do fixed train tickets but if they did, is the conclusion that someone on such a hypothetical (and presumably cheaper) ticket would be entitled to be delivered to their destination as even if they were sufficiently psychic to predict the missed connection they couldn't use the ticket on an earlier train?

 

[rvdborgt]

Sadly, the train from Brussels was late and he missed the connection in Liège. SNCB staff let him stay on the IC train all the way to Welkenraedt, but they said that getting him to Aachen is not SNCB's problem, as he should have travelled earlier as his ticket was flexible (in particular, it did not stipulate a specific connection). Well, even if he wanted to, he could not have travelled earlier as he was travelling from Inverkeithing (Scotland, north of the Forth Bridge...) that day.

He then took a taxi from Welkenraedt to Aachen at his own expense. I am a bit puzzled here. Are SNCB really in the right here? To be fair to SNCB, however, they helped him to book a taxi, but he had to pay for the ride himself. And, had he not missed the connection in Liège, and got to Aachen at 00:42, would he be entitled to delay repay?

It *was* SNCB's duty to get him to his destination. He was *not* required to travel earlier, that was a pure nonsense remark. He would have been entitled to delay repay after arriving at 00:42. He still is if he had at least 60 minutes delay.
Claim back the taxi fare from SNCB Europe here, and ask for 25% compensation if the delay in Aachen was at least 60 minutes. Attach the taxi receipt and do mention that the staff made him pay for the taxi, instead of doing their job by arranging the taxi for him (they have the means to do that).
They have 1 month to reply. After that, or if you don't agree with the rely, file your complaint with the national enforcement body here.

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

Annoyingly there is a 20.22 ICE Brussels to Frankfurt, calling at Aachen - I assume this was too tight a connection off the 17.04 ex St. Pancras? Normally there is 23.08 Liege to Aachen arr. 00.42 - looks like it got combined with the 22.08 because of engineering.

 

[rvdborgt]

Annoyingly there is a 20.22 ICE Brussels to Frankfurt, calling at Aachen - I assume this was too tight a connection off the 17.04 ex St. Pancras?

It should connect, but strangely the planners don't show this connection. Arrival 16:06 and departure 16:22 is however shown. I suppose someone forgot to enter this connection.

 

[AdamWW]

It should connect, but strangely the planners don't show this connection. Arrival 16:06 and departure 16:22 is however shown. I suppose someone forgot to enter this connection.

I though it was just RENFE that only showed connections if someone had specifically entered them.

Don't journey planners normally just figure them out themselves based on minimum connection times?

 

[rvdborgt]

I though it was just RENFE that only showed connections if someone had specifically entered them.

Don't journey planners normally just figure them out themselves based on minimum connection times?

Yes they do, but if a connection is just below the general minimum connection time for that station, then a manual adjustment is needed to show the connection. IIRC connections in Brussels coming from London have a minimum connection time of 18 minutes and 22:05 to 22:22 is then just 1 minute short.

 

[Mirjamsterdam]

Annoyingly there is a 20.22 ICE Brussels to Frankfurt, calling at Aachen - I assume this was too tight a connection off the 17.04 ex St. Pancras? Normally there is 23.08 Liege to Aachen arr. 00.42 - looks like it got combined with the 22.08 because of engineering.

It looks like that train didn't run on 30 September (or rather, it ran only from Cologne to Frankfurt).

 

[Full Standing]

Thanks for all the helpful replies, which are in line with what I thought would be the case! I'll talk to him so that we can claim back the taxi cost and potentially delay repay. I'll keep you posted.

It looks like that train didn't run on 30 September (or rather, it ran only from Cologne to Frankfurt).

Indeed, the 20:22 ICE did not run on that day, and we were already aware of this at the time of booking, hence the use of SNCB trains

 

[rvdborgt]

Since buying the ticket, the timetable changed due to construction works (which we only noted yesterday), and the connection changed as follows:

20:56 Bruxelles-Midi (IC train via Leuven)
21:59 Liège-Guillemins

[...]

Sadly, the train from Brussels was late and he missed the connection in Liège.

Out of curiosity, I looked up this train and NMBS/SNCB report this train (IC 519) as having run on time on 30/9. Bahn.expert agrees with that. (Times in bold are confirmed.)
Both websites will allow you to go back 1 week.
Was it indeed on 30/9?

 

[Full Standing]

Was it indeed on 30/9?

Yes, it was September 30. I myself was not on the train, but my father said that the IC pulled into Liège-Guillemins at 22:07, leaving insufficient time to change to the train to Vise. But, of course, I can't very this independently if the websites say otherwise.

But anyway, he did not ask for a receipt in the taxi (he doesn't travel often on longer distances by train), so there is no claim to be made. Also, the delay at Aachen was less than 60 minutes.

Still, I would like to thank you all for the helpful responses.