The number of international train travelers at the Belgian public railroad company NMBS/SNCB is increasing year after year. Since 2019, the number of bookings through NMBS/SNCB International has risen by over 50%. The most popular countries are France, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
NMBS/SNCB sells tickets to more than 6,000 destinations in 14 European countries, more than 1,000 of which are less than 6 hours’ train time from Brussels and with a maximum of one change.
Spain strong riser
The ten most popular countries are France (with in particular the cities of Lille, Paris, Marne-la-Vallée with Disneyland Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Strasbourg, Rennes, and Avignon), Germany (in particular the cities of Aachen, Cologne, Frankfurt, and Berlin), the United Kingdom, and London in particular, the Netherlands, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Denmark, and Spain, the country added as the last new destination but which is experiencing strong growth in ticket sales.
OUIGO effect
Across all destinations, high-speed connections remain the most popular. The fact that France is in first place is also due, for example, to the classic OUIGO train between Brussels and Paris, an offer that NMBS/SNCB launched a few months ago in cooperation with French railroads SNCF.
The ride takes three hours and has prices starting at 10 euros each way, but it is a great success. In addition, the train offer between Belgium and the Netherlands was significantly expanded, now totaling 64 trains per day.
However, the number of night trains from Brussels remains limited to three per week to Vienna (Nightjet) and three per week to Berlin and Prague.
Good for the planet
Currently, ticket sales for train trips abroad in July and August via the platform NMBS/SNCB International are at the same level as at the same time last year.
Last summer, NMBS/SNCB registered as many as 1.5 million international bookings. Back then, however, global sporting events took place, such as the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris and the European Football Championship in Germany.
The number of destinations is set to expand to 8,000 by 2030
NMBS/SNCB praises the international offer as “good for the planet and comfortable.” The railroad company points out that “in an era when it is crucial to protect our planet, the train is a sustainable and environmentally friendly means of transport” and that “the train is also synonymous with comfort and gets you right into the heart of many major European cities.”
The average CO2 emissions per passenger kilometer by high-speed train are about 15 to 25 grams of CO2, compared to 120 to 200 grams of CO2 for a trip by car (gasoline/diesel) and 250 to 300 grams of CO2 by plane.
