Brupass and Brupass XL tickets for all public transport now available in digital format
STIB, SNCB, TEC and De Lijn are making the Brupass and Brupass XL paperless and they are now available in their respective apps. . Public transport users can obtain these interoperable tickets even more easily and travel on the networks of the four operators in a wide area in and around Brussels. The digital Brupass and Brupass XL are now available for sale in the STIB, SNCB and TEC apps, and will also be available in the De Lijn app in early 2024.
The 1- and 10-journey Brupass and Brupass XL digital tickets are the digital versions of the Brupass and Brupass XL tickets available on MOBIB. These paperless tickets are in addition to those already available from the four operators. The completely paperless digital ticket is purchased and validated directly on the operator's app. This is the first digital ticket to allow users to travel directly on the networks of the four public transport operators in Brussels and the surrounding area. The digital Brupass and Brupass XL are also the first digital tickets to be offered by STIB.
Regardless of the app in which they were purchased and validated, digital tickets can be used on the networks of all four public transport operators - SNCB, De Lijn, TEC and STIB - within the defined zone. Tickets will be available for purchase on the De Lijn app in the first quarter of 2024, as soon as the new update to their programme has been completed. In the meantime, users can travel on the De Lijn network using a Brupass or Brupass XL purchased from another operator's app.
Buy, pay and validate with your smartphone
Practical and easily accessible, this new mobile solution enables passengers to buy 1- and 10-journey Brupass and Brupass XL tickets directly from the app of the public transport operator of their choice, in digital format. You don't need a MOBIB card; just open an account in the SNCB, STIB, De Lijn or TEC app.
Passengers go to the mobile app to buy their ticket, which can be used for STIB, TEC, De Lijn and SNCB in Brussels. This ticket is stored in a wallet in the app. So there is no risk of losing it. All passengers have to do is activate it when they want to use it, before boarding the train, tram, bus or metro, by selecting the network on which they are starting their journey. The user will then receive a QR code, which can be shown in the event of an inspection. For STIB, the QR code can also be used to open metro station gates.
Once activated, the digital ticket is valid for 60 minutes, just like a conventional ticket, with no limit on connections, and is valid on the network of the four public transport operators (STIB, De Lijn, SNCB, TEC) in the Brussels Region (Brupass) and the outskirts of Brussels (Brupass XL).
The digital ticket does not have to be scanned when passengers board a bus or tram. For the time being, connections must be indicated in the app when the passenger moves from one vehicle to another, whether within the same network or operator or between one operator and another.
Digital Brupass and Brupass XL tickets are priced the same as a Brupass or Brupass XL ticket purchased and loaded onto a MOBIB card.
New validators in the metro
The digital Brupass and Brupass XL are STIB's first digital tickets. Every metro station in Brussels now has at least one gate equipped with a new reader, which scans the QR codes generated by the app. This reader is embedded in the gates, behind glass. A reader is also installed in the PRM airlocks. Stickers are affixed all around the reader so that passengers can easily see where they need to present their QR code to open gates and enter and exit stations.
In the event of an inspection, passengers simply present the code generated in the app to the inspector.
Travelling in and around Brussels
Since February 2021, Brupass and Brupass XL have enabled passengers to travel by train, tram, bus and metro with a single ticket, at the same fare, in the 19 municipalities of Brussels and its outskirts, within an 11.5 km perimeter around the Grand-Place.
"The Brupass is STIB's best-selling ticket. Easy, fast and efficient payment solutions are also important services for passengers. After the success of the EMV system, the digital Brupass is a new innovation that makes using public transport more attractive and more spontaneous," says Brieuc de Meeûs, CEO of STIB.
"The SNCB app is an important channel for passengers to buy their tickets. The fact that the Brupass (XL) can now also be purchased in this way makes it even easier for travellers to combine public transport in and around Brussels, with just one ticket. Rail plays a very important role, with over 50 stations and almost 1,400 trains a day," says Sophie Dutordoir, CEO of SNCB.
"By simplifying the user experience, as we are doing here with this new digital ticket shared by all four operators, we will be able to ensure that more people choose public transport," adds Jean-Michel Soors, General Administrator of the TEC.
"For De Lijn, the Brupass (XL) digital ticket supplements its already extensive range of digital tickets. De Lijn's aim is to make travel easier for its passengers in the Brussels Region, as they often use different operators on their journey. This ticket will be available in the De Lijn app during the first quarter of 2024," says Ann Schoubs, General Manager of De Lijn.