Restructuring events
European Restructuring Monitor (ERM)
The restructuring events database contains factsheets with data on large-scale restructuring events reported in the principal national media and company websites in each EU Member State. This database was created in 2002.
Alstom, the French railway rolling-stock manufacturer, announced plans to cut 150 jobs at its production site in Bruges, Belgium, as part of an internal restructuring driven by a shortage of new orders. The Bruges facility currently employs 585 workers, including both permanent and temporary staff, and will remain operational following the workforce reduction. The company’s site in Charleroi is not affected by the restructuring.
The collective dismissal will follow the Renault procedure, with discussions starting after the New Year. The job cuts are expected to begin from mid-2026. Earlier this year, Alstom lost a major NMBS-SNCB train order (the Belgian National Railway) to Spanish competitor CAF, raising concerns among unions about the future of the Bruges plant. Although management denies this as the direct cause, unions remain sceptical.
*** Updated, 11/05/2026 *** The staff of Alstom in Bruges have approved the social plan. Management had planned to dismiss 150 people, but after negotiations with the trade unions, that number has been limited to 117. The dismissed employees will now be financially compensated.
Updated, 11/06/2026 Alstom's Bruges plant social plan was approved after negotiations, limiting the planned 150 job cuts to 117. The reductions will begin mid 2026 and staff will receive a one time bonus plus yearly compensation based on seniority.
Eurofound (2025), Alstom, Internal restructuring in Belgium, factsheet number 203844, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://dev.eurofound.europa.eu/restructuring-events/detail/203844.
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