Belgian rail removed 220 000 m2 of graffiti from trains

In 2022, Belgium’s national railway company NMBS/SNCB had to remove 218 600 square meters of graffiti from trains, noticeably more than in previous years.

The cost of the entire cleaning operation was 6,8 million euros. It was the first time the ‘unwanted art’ exceeded a 200 000-square-meter surface. In 2021, NMBS/SNCB removed 175 800 square meters of ‘art,’ and the year before, 198 600 m2.

Social problem

The Belgian rail has tried to clean their vehicles more quickly, to make graffiti less visible for travelers, to discourage graffiti sprayers, and to avoid more damage that would lead to higher costs.”

According to Federal Mobility Minister Georges Gilkinet, graffiti remains a social problem, just like the damage to sanitary facilities in stations, which NMBS/SNCB cannot tackle alone.