Belgian rail operator SNCB-NMBS will receive a bonus of just over €208,000 from the federal government for its 2025 performance, less than half of what it received only a year earlier.
The payment follows the bonus-malus system set out in the public service contract between NMBS and the federal government. Under that system, the company receives a bonus if it performs better than agreed targets, but faces a penalty if it falls short.
The company said it would invest the bonus in projects aimed at improving wellbeing at work.
SNCB said it had made “significant progress last year in the reliability and quality of its services.” It said that improvement was most visible in indicators directly affecting the passenger experience, including punctuality, the number of delay minutes attributable to SNCB, and passenger satisfaction.
Performance is measured against 12 indicators. Each one is worth €416,666 as either a bonus or a penalty, depending on whether SNCB exceeds or misses its target, with the total adjustment capped at €5 million.
According to a 2025 report by the Federal Public Service Mobility, SNCB outperformed its targets on three indicators: the punctuality of domestic trains, passenger information during disruptions, and its carbon footprint.
However, as in 2024, the number of passenger kilometres and the unavailability rate of rolling stock remained below target. This year, planned connections also counted against the company by half an indicator, although realised connections did meet the agreed standard.
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Taken together, those results leave SNCB with a bonus of €208,333. In 2024, the railway company received €416,666, while for its 2023 performance, when the bonus-malus system was applied for the first time, it was fined €416,666.
