Rail strike brings Belgium train traffic to standstill

The start of a two-day rail strike by trade unions in Belgium has brought the train traffic in and around the capital, Brussels, to a standstill and disrupted international connections to London and Paris.

Workers, who began walking off their jobs late Tuesday, are protesting government austerity plans allegedly to streamline services and make the sector more efficient.

The unions complained that the government’s austerity measures will cost thousands of jobs and cut services.

They also said they had no choice but to take strike action, because no serious negotiations had taken place in 2015 to seek a compromise on the reforms.

The latest industrial action largely deserted Brussels' main Midi station on Wednesday. Eurostar trains from London to the Belgian capital and the Thalys line to and from Paris were canceled through Thursday.

The Thalys and Eurostar say their services will be cut or severely affected in the country for at least a couple of days.

The unions across the European country originally planned a five-day rail strike, but faced with consumer outrage, they cut the duration to two days.

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