Belgium's Wartime Railway Profits Are Finally Facing Justice

Dr. Annette Baumgartner · 2026-07-29

Seventy-five years after Belgium's liberation, a painful chapter is reopening. The country's national railway company, NMBS, is now being taken to court over allegations that it earned millions from deporting Jews during World War II. For the families who lost everything, this isn't just about money—it's about accountability that has been too long in coming. ### A Dark Ledger from the Occupation During the Nazi occupation of Belgium, the railway network was used to transport more than 25,000 Jews and Roma to concentration camps. What many people don't realize is that the railway company charged for these rides. The fares weren't symbolic either—they added up to significant sums, paid by the victims themselves or by the Nazi administration, all while the company kept its trains running like clockwork. Recent historical research has dug into the archives and found that NMBS invoiced for these deportations, treating them as ordinary passenger trips. The numbers are staggering. In today's dollars, the amounts run into the millions. That's money that came directly from the suffering of innocent people. ### The Lawsuit That Took Decades to Arrive Now, a Jewish foundation has decided that enough is enough. They're taking the railway company to court, demanding not just financial compensation but a formal acknowledgment of what happened. The foundation's message is clear: the waiting has to end. - The lawsuit seeks recognition of NMBS's role in the Holocaust - It demands financial reparations for the families affected - It calls for a public apology and a commitment to historical education The legal action is unprecedented in Belgium. It forces a national institution to confront its past in a courtroom, not just in history books. For many, this is a long-overdue reckoning. ### Why This Matters Beyond Belgium The story of the NMBS is not unique. Across Europe, railway companies were instrumental in the machinery of genocide. But Belgium is one of the first countries where a state-owned company is being held legally accountable for its wartime profits. This case could set a precedent for other nations grappling with similar histories. It's also a reminder that the past isn't really past. The survivors and their descendants still carry the trauma. Every year, on the anniversary of the liberation, they gather to remember. But memory alone hasn't been enough. This lawsuit is about turning remembrance into responsibility. ### The Human Cost Behind the Numbers Behind the millions of dollars are real people. Families torn apart, communities erased, lives that ended in gas chambers or were scattered across Europe. The railway cars that carried them were ordinary—the same trains that took people to work or to visit relatives. That ordinariness is what makes it so chilling. One survivor's daughter put it simply: "My mother never spoke about the train ride. It was the last time she saw her parents. The company that ran that train knew where it was going." That silence, and that knowledge, is what this lawsuit is trying to address. ### What Happens Next The court case will likely take years to resolve. NMBS has expressed regret but denies legal liability, arguing that it was under Nazi control and had no choice. The foundation counters that the company continued to profit after the war, and that its leadership at the time made deliberate decisions. Whatever the outcome, this case has already achieved something important: it has forced a national conversation about complicity, profit, and justice. For the families who have waited 75 years, that conversation is long overdue. But as they say, better late than never—especially when the truth is at stake. This is not just a Belgian story. It's a warning to every institution that thinks it can bury its past. The ledger may be old, but the ink is still visible. And now, the court will decide what that means.