The Belgian public railway company NMBS/SNCB is currently carrying out extra checks on more than 400 trains on various lines and platforms to verify the validity of tickets. The campaign is part of a broader crackdown on fraud: this year, 40% more passengers will be checked compared to last year.

Checks on the 900,000 passengers who take the NMBS/SNCB trains every day are carried out by train conductors, mobile inspection teams, and agents from Securail security service. The railway police and local police are also involved. The intention is to repeat the campaign later this year.

NMBS/SNCB expects that 40% more passengers will be checked this year compared to last year. Discussions about whether passengers have a valid ticket are the leading cause of aggression toward NMBS/SNCB employees. Moreover, fraud also has a financial impact on the company, which is why it is one of its priorities.

7% of passengers do not have a valid ticket

According to NMBS/SNSCB spokesperson Dimitri Temmerman, 7% of passengers are unable to present a valid ticket during checks. In 2023, approximately 4% of passengers, or 497,000 persons, still did not have a ticket during checks, representing a total of 44 million euros, which is significantly more than the 28 million euros in 2022. Noteworthy: In 2023, only 10% of these fines were collected.

Last year, nearly 700,000 passengers without tickets were caught red-handed by the railroad company. This is a remarkable 40% increase compared to 2023. For passengers who are forgetful or fraudulent, whether intentionally or not, the train attendant offers them the opportunity to purchase a ticket, but with an additional on-board surcharge of nine euros.

Passengers who do not comply must pay 90 euros within 14 days. Late payment can result in a fine of up to 500 euros. If identification is not possible, the train conductor will call in the security service.