Some 245 million people travelled with the Belgian railway services in 2024, nearly half a million more than in 2023, national railway company SNCB reported on Wednesday.
The figures show SNCB is steadily approaching pre-Covid levels, when the record of 253 million passengers was set in 2019.
The number of occasional travellers saw a substantial rise. Over 68 million people used individual train tickets, a 4.4% increase from 2023 and even 21% higher than in 2019.
Bike tourism is also on the rise, with 485,000 travellers purchasing bike tickets in 2024, a 10% increase from the previous year.
The impact of remote work on travel behaviour is becoming increasingly evident. There was a 20% decrease in commuter journeys with 'work-to-home' subscription cards compared to 2019.
Credit: Belga / Eric Lalmand
In response, SNCB introduced the 'Flex Subscription' for those commuting two or three days a week. This option has proven successful, with usage tripling in 2024 compared to 2023.
Currently, more than a quarter of all 'work-to-home' subscribers have opted for a flexible train subscription.
SNCB claims there were noticeable improvements in service in 2024. It highlighted that punctuality rose to 89.7% – a 2.2% improvement from 2023.
The international offering expanded with a doubling of IC connections to the Netherlands and a new OUIGO connection to Paris, together accounting for 450,000 tickets sold.
