Slight increase in NMBS/SNCB rail passenger to 245 million

Belgian public railroad company NMBS/SNCB carried some 245 million train passengers last year, almost half a million more than in 2023.

It is thus approaching the record number of 253 million passengers in 2019, indicating a solid recovery after Covid-19. However, introducing the new timetable continues to cause discontent and dissatisfied travelers here and there.

Over 68 million individual tickets sold

In particular, occasional travelers rose significantly, a trend going on for a while. Over 68 million people used individual train tickets in 2024, up 4.4% from 2023 and even 21% more than in 2019.

Bike tourism is also rising: in 2024, 485,000 travelers bought a bike ticket, 10% more than the previous year. In contrast, using 10-ride passes (Standard, Youth, or Local Multi) continues to decline. In 2024, compared to 2023, their use decreased by 1.7%. Since 2019, it has even declined by about 25%.

The success of ‘Flex Subscription’

The impact of telecommuting on traveler behavior is also becoming more apparent. Compared to 2019, 20% fewer train trips took place with commuting subscriptions, although more than 85 million people still traveled with this type of subscription last year.

In response, the NMBS/SNCB launched the ‘Flex Subscription’ for those who commute two or three days a week. This formula proved a success: usage tripled in 2024 compared to 2023.

More than a quarter of all commuter subscribers have a flexible rail pass. With 64.6 million passengers, residential-school traffic has returned to pre-Covid-19 crisis levels for some time.

Better service, still problems with the new timetable

Service also improved noticeably, says NMBS/SNCB. Punctuality rose to 89.7%, a 2.2% improvement over 2023. In addition, the international offering was expanded, including a doubling of IC connections to the Netherlands and a new OUIGO connection to Paris. Together, these already accounted for 450,000 tickets sold.

In the press release, NMBS/SCNB also talks about expanding domestic train connections with the re-injection of 220 trains but does not mention the problems surrounding the new timetable.

According to passenger organization TreinTramBus, for example, the connection capacity between Antwerp and Brussels is far too low. Therefore, The organization calls for Eurocity Direct to be open to domestic passengers for the stretch between the two cities.

Also, the transfer time in Dendermonde for travelers from the Waasland to Brussels would be much too tight. Furthermore, scaling back the ambition of adding additional late-night and weekend trains, which were abandoned due to a shortage of train drivers, remains a serious drain.

Still, 400 train drivers and 300 train conductors were hired last year. With more than 1,300 new recruits, NMBS/SNCB remains a major employer, currently employing 17,000 people. Notably, almost a third of new employees chose NMBS/SNCB on the recommendation of an acquaintance who already works there, indicating high employee satisfaction.

Renewal of fleet

Furthermore, 13 stations also became autonomously accessible, although the backlog remains huge: out of 550 stations, 116 now meet the criteria—all platforms are elevated and accessible by elevator or ramp, there are guidelines for the blind and visually impaired, and at least one ticket machine is accessible to all.

Twelve stations also renewed and expanded bicycle and/or car parking facilities. Together, the stations now have some 128,000 bicycle and 75,500 car parking spaces.

Finally, 160 M7 double-decker coaches were added to the fleet last year. NMBS/SCNB now has more than 500 of them. In total, NMBS/SNCB has purchased 750 M7 carriages. All of these will be delivered by the end of 2026. All M6 double-deck coaches are also being renewed so that half the fleet will be renewed by 2032.