National railway company NMBS/SNCB is not responding to the request from traveler interest group TreinTramBus to compensate season ticket holders for the many strikes of the past weeks with a ‘Sorry Pass.’
TreinTramBus had requested railway company NMBS/SNCB to compensate season ticket holders for February and March with a Sorry Pass for all the recent strikes. The strikes were caused by the De Wever I government’s plans regarding pensions and savings at NMBS.
In February, disruptions occurred due to a nine-day strike planned by the smaller railway unions OVS and ASTB. Last week, disruptions occurred due to action by the independent railway union Metisp-Protect.
Commercial gesture
In April, except for April 1st, the major rail unions will strike every Tuesday. On April 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th, travelers must rely on an alternative timetable, which they are fed up with. That is why TreinTramBus asked for compensation. They believed a commercial gesture was needed.
In the past, such a Sorry Pass was standard. With it, one person could travel for free on the train for one day. Today, season ticket holders can receive compensation via NMBS/SNCB’s standard compensation rules if they experience serious inconvenience due to the strike, but that entails a lot of administration.
Alternative timetable
TreinTramBus believes that the compensation process should be more straightforward. In the future, season ticket holders who cannot use the alternative timetable should be able to extend the validity of their season ticket by one day up to one day in advance.
TreinTramBus regrets that the NMBS is not prepared to accommodate the traveler. The organization finds that train passengers have nevertheless been sufficiently bullied.
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