Belgium Ends Onboard Train Ticket Sales, Fines Fare Evaders from July 1
Starting Wednesday, July 1, 2026, passengers boarding Belgian trains without a valid ticket will be treated as fare evaders and fined, as national railway operator NMBS/SNCB eliminates the long-standing option to purchase tickets onboard from conductors. The policy shift, which ends the so-called “boordtarief” (onboard fare) with its €9 surcharge, requires all passengers to buy tickets before boarding via the NMBS app, ticket machines, station counters, or the website belgiantrain.be.
Why the Change?
The decision is driven by two interconnected crises: rising fare evasion and escalating aggression against staff. According to VRT NWS, fare evasion costs NMBS up to €80 million annually, with approximately 7% of passengers checked unable to present a valid ticket. While only about 1% of tickets are currently purchased onboard, NMBS says this creates a “grey zone” that enables abuse — some passengers deliberately wait to see a conductor before buying, effectively gambling on whether they will be checked.
Staff safety is the other major concern. NMBS recorded 2,602 cases of aggression against employees in 2025, up from 2,103 in 2024 — an average of seven incidents per day, with over 40% involving physical violence. As NMBS spokesperson Dimitri Temmerman told VRT NWS, “It’s those tickets that cause arguments with conductors. And arguments with passengers who don’t have a valid ticket or arguments about that €9 surcharge are the main cause of aggression against staff.”
How Enforcement Will Work
NMBS is significantly ramping up enforcement. Ticket inspections were already increased by 50% in 2025 compared to 2024, and this will be further intensified. Mobile control teams will conduct checks on platforms and aboard trains in collaboration with Securail, local police, and the railway police.
“We will deploy mobile control teams that will primarily focus on checking travel documents,” Temmerman said, as reported by HLN. NMBS is also studying the installation of access gates at five major stations.
Passengers found without a valid ticket will face escalating penalties: a first-offense fine of €90, payable within 14 calendar days to regularize the situation; an administrative fine of €250 if unpaid within that period; and up to €500 for repeat offenses.
Exceptions and Safeguards
NMBS has built in protections for technical failures. If a ticket machine is defective, the conductor is automatically notified. Passengers who could not buy a ticket due to a machine fault can purchase one at the normal price within 14 days without penalty, as confirmed by L’Avenir.
International trains remain exempt: EuroCity, EuroCity Direct, OUIGO, TGV, and services between Kortrijk/Tournai and Lille still allow onboard purchases.
Criticism and Concerns
The policy has drawn criticism from passenger organization TreinTramBus. Representative Peter Meukens questioned whether the system would fairly handle honest mistakes. “Will someone who makes a mistake in good faith or doesn’t have a ticket due to circumstances be able to avoid the €90 fine?” he asked, as quoted by VRT NWS. He also expressed doubt about the policy’s effectiveness against deliberate fare evaders, arguing they “won’t bother going to the counter with the ticket.”
European Context and Forward Look
Belgium is aligning with standard practice across continental Europe, where onboard ticket sales have long been eliminated in most countries. The policy represents a significant step in NMBS’s broader modernization efforts, which include digital ticketing and potential access gate installation.
For passengers, the message is clear: buy your ticket before you board. With enhanced platform checks and mobile control teams, the era of buying a ticket from the conductor is over. The question now is whether the new enforcement regime will achieve its twin goals of reducing fare evasion and improving staff safety — or whether, as critics warn, it will primarily penalize occasional travelers and tourists unfamiliar with the new rules.