Rail Chaos: SNCB Website Attacked, Significant Disruptions to Brussels

 

Commuters heading to the capital this Thursday morning likely noticed significant disruptions in the railway network, especially on the Namur-Brussels and Mons-Brussels routes. Difficult weather conditions and computer issues were the culprits, but the situation improved by late morning.

Infrabel spokesperson Frédéric Sacré stated, "No major incidents on the railway infrastructure caused by weather conditions. There are occasional issues with switches that may cause a few minutes of delay, but overall, the switch heaters performed well."

SNCB confirmed trains were running, "but with more difficulties than usual," according to spokesperson Vincent Bayer, particularly on the Namur-Brussels and Mons-Brussels routes. However, there were no interruptions.

Delays and cancellations were mainly attributed to rolling stock and switch malfunctions, possibly compounded by SNCB staff facing challenges getting to work on Thursday morning.

Additionally, exacerbating the situation, the SNCB website fell victim to a large-scale DDoS cyber-attack overnight from Wednesday to Thursday. Bayer explained, "This attack involves sending multiple requests to the targeted web resource, aiming to hinder the site's ability to handle received requests." The SNCB promptly activated its protection system, temporarily rendering the website unavailable. Bayer added, "A complaint will be filed with the relevant authorities," apologizing to passengers for any inconvenience.

On a more positive note, the Stib reported no major issues. All tram and metro lines operated as usual, and most bus lines were in service, except for a few in the southern part of the capital. Three lines were diverted in Uccle (41, 38, and 37), while Line 43 (Vivier d'oie) was not operational, according to a spokesperson for the Brussels public transport company around 7:30 am.

[Source: Belga - Photo: Belga]