While 2,102 incidents of aggression against NMBS//SNCB staff were recorded in 2024, the figure rose by nearly a quarter the following year to 2,602 incidents.
However, the impact on the Belgian railway company’s staff rose even more rapidly: aggression against staff resulted in 95,336 hours of sick leave last year, more than double the previous year’s figure. That amounts to 261 lost work hours per day.
Due to the sharp rise in aggression against staff, calls for the use of body cameras are growing louder and louder at the railroad company. Legislation on this matter is expected to be finalized by the end of this year.
Train attendants are the most common victims
Of the 489 cases involving work disability – an increase of nearly 57% – it appears that train attendants were most frequently confronted with aggression last year.
NMBS/SNCB recorded 1,484 cases involving them. The Securail security service followed with 791 incidents. In addition, there were 213 cases involving mobility guides and 104 involving staff.
The impact is also reflected in the figures on follow-up care. In 2025, there were 1,167 interventions by in-house psychosocial counselors.
Through the external partner Pulso, 224 initial consultations and 193 counseling programs took place. Aggression was usually the reason for seeking help.
Body cameras are coming
The NMBS/SNCB has long favored body cameras, as they can help de-escalate situations during interventions, but the legal framework for their use is not yet in place. Privacy concerns and criticism from the Data Protection Authority (GBA) held up the plans for a long time.
In late May 2026, the federal government approved a preliminary draft bill concerning services that may face violence while on duty. Interior Minister Bernard Quintin (MR) hopes that Parliament will be able to vote on it before the end of this year.
“In the meantime, NMBS/SNCB, together with the other public transportation companies, has launched a public tender, and we are in talks with several suppliers so that – as soon as the legal framework is in place – we can implement the use of body cameras,” says the NMBS/SNCB spokesperson.
“At the same time, consultations with the representative labor unions will begin to prepare the operational and organizational aspects.”
Turnstiles have been rejected
The installation of turnstiles has also been proposed for some time as a measure to combat fare evasion and improve safety.
The NMBS/SNCB recently completed a new study on the installation and presented it to the board of directors earlier this month. However, the railway company still does not consider it appropriate to install turnstiles at major stations.
The NMBS/SNCB argues that these turnstiles can reduce fare evasion, but the disadvantages associated with their installation outweigh the benefits.
