Belgian train tickets gets cheaper in off-peak hours

Belgian public railroad company NMBS/SNCB is going to thoroughly reform its fare range before the end of this year, possibly sometime in October. One of the new things it is launching, is a paying benefit card that offers 40% discount during off-peak hours.

In general, season tickets will not change, but 10-ride passes will be eliminated, as NMBS/SNCB will start working with percentage discounts. NMBS/SNCB is making the case that train travel will be cheaper during off-peak hours and weekends and for frequent rail travelers.

The reform should lure more travelers to the trains and the PR campaign comes at a good time because the same traveler is facing a lot of public transport strikes in February and March.

Generally cheaper

NMBS/SNCB wants to calculate the fares for all tickets from now on based on the distance traveled. Flat rates were not always the best choice, especially for short distances. The railroad company wants to make the fare offer clear to save travelers a search for the cheapest option, although it doesn’t seem as clear as announced.

According to Marc Huybrechts, Director of Customer Services at NMBS/SNCB, 75 to 80% of travelers will pay less or the same amount. He thinks the new fares could bring 5 to 10% more travelers.

The railroad company needs to attract additional passengers anyway to avoid losing revenue. The management agreement concluded with the government also states that one of the goals is to grow the number of train passengers by 30% by 2032.

For those cases where a ticket does end up more expensive, NMBS/SNCB says it has limited the price difference. For those who now regularly travel long distances on a Standard Multi during peak hours, for example, a trip will be more expensive. However, “overall, trains are getting cheaper,” is the message.

Advantage card

Under the new system, young people up to 26 years of age, seniors from 65 years of age, and those entitled to an increased allowance will receive a basic discount of 40%, but they can increase it to 64% during off-peak hours by cumulating with the discount from the advantage card, new to the offer. Children under 12 will still travel free when accompanied. Seniors, in turn, will be freed from the rule that they can only travel with the senior fare after 9 a.m.

The Advantage card costs 4 euros (for young people and seniors, increased allowance) and 6 euros (for adults aged 26 to 64) for one month. An annual version of the card costs 32 euros and 48 euros, respectively. That card entitles you to a 40% discount for trips starting outside peak hours, which fall on weekdays between 6 and 9 a.m. and between 4 and 6 p.m.

In addition, travelers with an Advantage card get a discounted maximum fare, including during rush hour. This should keep long train journeys attractive. Regardless of distance traveled or time of day, a one-way ticket will cost a maximum of 14 euros for an adult.

Young people, seniors, and entitled persons will pay a maximum of 5.5 euros for a single trip with the Advantage card. NMBS/SNCB is aiming for “at least one million Belgians to take the Advantage card, either monthly or annually.”

Maximum single fare down

Even without this new advantage card, the maximum price for a single ride is going down. NMBS/SNCB will henceforth calculate it based on a travel distance of 120 km instead of the current 150 km. Therefore, the maximum price without discount will be 20.90 euros for a trip instead of the current 26 euros.

For adults aged 24 to 64, there is also the updated Weekend Ticket with a 30% discount, also for a single trip. By cumulating with the benefit card, the discount rises to 58%. This results in a more competitive price than with the current weekend tickets.

Also new for adults is the discounted fare when traveling together in a smaller group of four or more. During weekends and off-peak hours, they enjoy a 40% discount in this case. The discount for groups of 15 people or more remains at 60%, but they must book in advance.

The 10-ride card Local Multi, Standard Multi, and Youth Multi will disappear, but all products purchased will remain valid until the expiration date after the launch of the new range.

TTB reacts positively

Passenger organization TreinTramBus (TTB) is reacting “broadly positively” to the fare reform. For example, TTB is pleased that with a senior ticket or a weekend ticket, there is already a discount for a one-way ticket, now this is only for a return ticket. The discount for groups of four or more is also a good thing, especially for families.

The price of the advantage card that offers a 40% discount during off-peak hours is also liked. “This is interesting, we were waiting for this for a long time,” says TTB president Peter Meukens.

But for TreinTramBus, there are also fewer elements in the fare reform. “For the longer distance, there really is going to be more to pay than now with a Multi-card. That becomes a lot more expensive,” he refers to travel during peak hours.

Some of the discounts also only apply during off-peak hours. For example, according to Meukens, where you live also plays a role in when you board. People who take the train from the more distant provinces of Limburg, West-Flanders or Luxembourg, for example, must leave earlier than someone who live more in the center, and thus travel more often during rush hours.

Furthermore, the travelers’ organization regrets that, once again, no work is being done on fare integration with other carriers. Also, the new fare structure is complicated: “It’s not that simple after all.”

For example, senior citizens (3% of customers) now simply buy the Senior Ticket — 8,50 euros for a return ticket. But in the future, they will have to make a calculation for each trip of when and what is the most advantageous fare, and while the maximum prize for subscribers is higher than the amount they currently put on the table for a Senior Ticket.

Moreover, fare adjustment at NMBS/SNCB comes just as De Lijn has announced that prices for their trams and buses will rise by an average of 18% after three years of missed index adjustments, with the season ticket for the elderly, the Omnipas 65+, being allowed to rise even more.

Wave of strikes

In anticipation of the introduction of that new fare range, the government’s plans, including the pension reform involving an increase in the retirement age at NMBS/SNCB, are causing a great deal of unrest on the railroads.

For example, rail unions OVS and VSOA have announced a strike of as many as nine days, from February 21st at 10 p.m. until March 2nd at 10 p.m. Train drivers’ union ASTB plans to strike for five days during the same period, from February 23rd to February 28th.

The two largest rail unions, ACOD Spoor and ACV-Transcom, have also announced a series of actions and rotating strikes. These would take place several times a month from March to July. That plan “to strengthen specific demands for the rail sector” came after a meeting with new Mobility Minister Jean-Luc Crucke (Les Engagés).

Both unions will also participate in the general strike on March 31st.