Assaults on Belgian railway SNCB-NMBS staff resulted in a doubling of the amount of sick leave taken, totaling 95,336 hours of sick leave last year, or 261 lost working hours every single day, according to figures from Mobility Minister Jean-Luc Crucke (Les Engagés)
In 2024, the railway operator recorded 2,102 incidents of aggression against its employees. A year later, that figure surged to 2,602 cases. While the incident rate rose by nearly 24%, the resulting incapacity for work climbed by almost 57%. Federal MP Dorien Cuylaerts (N-VA) is now demanding immediate physical interventions, including putting ticket gates and bodycams back on the table.
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Physical and verbal attacks led to 489 cases of medical leave in 2025, up from 312 the year before. Train conductors were on the receiving end for most of this violence, facing 1,484 separate confrontations. Securail security agents followed with 791 incidents, and mobility guides and station staff reported 213 and 104 cases respectively.
On average, seven SNCB employees are now targeted daily. One recent court case involved a conductor who was brutally beaten on the Antwerp-Leuven line after requesting a valid ticket. Following a lengthy rehabilitation, the victim ultimately abandoned her 14-year career.
No barriers in sight
Cuylaerts insists that introducing ticket gates at major stations will physically block fare evaders and drastically reduce ticket inspection conflicts. However, the SNCB entirely rejects this proposal. A recent feasibility study concluded that barriers present a negative business case, that is, they cost too much and impede passenger flow.
Another proposal is fast-tracking bodycams for Securail personnel. These small chest-mounted devices are intended to record altercations objectively and capture hard evidence for prosecutions.
At the same time, foreign transport networks showed mixed results after the introduction of bodycams. Securail agents themselves point out that the SNCB already manages the largest fixed CCTV network in Belgium. Thousands of cameras currently operate across stations and trains without deterring perpetrators.
