Choose your route

You can combine several travel tickets, but you must always respect the stations and the route indicated on your ticket.

For example, if you already have a season ticket that allows you to travel from Mons to Brussels-Midi and you buy a ticket to travel from Brussels-Midi to Namur, you must first travel from Mons to Brussels-Midi, and then from Brussels-Midi to Namur. You cannot therefore travel directly from Mons to Namur without passing through Brussels-Midi.

You must respect the stations indicated on your ticket. Therefore, with a ticket, it is not permitted to interrupt your journey and continue it later.

Connections are of course still permitted as suggested by the journey planner.

With a ticket, you must travel from and to the stations indicated. If your Season Ticket mentions one or two zones, you can travel unlimitedly between all stations in the zone mentioned.

The Season Ticket you have purchased to travel between two stations is valid for the shortest route (the smallest distance travelled by train). If you wish to travel back along the line with a Season Ticket, you must buy one between the two most distant points.

Example 1: Do you wish to travel from Brussels-Midi (A) to Waterloo (B)?

The shortest route in kilometres is by taking the S1 train towards Nivelles, which stops at Waterloo. However, with your Brussels-Midi – Waterloo Season Ticket, you cannot take an IC train (which does not stop at Waterloo) to Braine-l’Alleud (C), which is beyond Waterloo, and then travel back between Braine-l’Alleud and Waterloo. In this case, a Brussels-Midi – Braine-l’Alleud Season Ticket is required.

 

Example 2: Do you wish to travel from Leuven (A) to Vilvoorde (B)?

The shortest route in kilometres is calculated via Schaerbeek station (C). To make this journey, you must take two trains. However, the connection between both trains takes place at Brussels-North (D) because one of the two trains does not stop at Schaerbeek. With your Leuven – Vilvoorde Season Ticket, you cannot travel via Brussels-North as you would pass twice over the Schaerbeek – Brussels-North section. In this case, please travel via Mechelen.

• Off-peak hours: boarding Monday to Friday from midnight to 6 a.m., from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and from 6 p.m. to midnight
• Peak hours: boarding departing Monday to Friday from 6.01am to 8.59am, and from 4.01pm to 5.59pm.
• Weekends (Saturday and Sunday): all-day boarding.
• Public holidays: all-day boarding.

If your journey is constituted of several connecting trains, it is the first leg of your journey that determines whether the “Off-peak” or “Anytime” fare applies.

Your ticket is valid for a one-way trip (or a return trip) and without seat reservation. You can travel with any train of the day. However, check that your ticket is valid at the desired travel time (example: travel during off-peak hours or all day).

You are not allowed to travel away from your departure point or go beyond your destination to return by backtracking, except in the following cases:

• Tickets: backtracking is allowed if suggested by the journey planner, without the need to purchase an additional ticket.
• Season ticket: backtracking is not allowed, unless you purchase an additional ticket for the relevant journey.

For journeys towards Maastricht, Roosendaal, Lille-Flandres, Aachen and Luxembourg (L), a specific train ticket is required for travelling to these stations.

If you have a ticket for an international journey in a high speed train, you can purchase a ‘connexion’ fare ticket at any train station that sells international tickets. This ticket entitles you to travel from any Belgian train station to the departure station of your international train.

When you buy a season ticket, we ask that you specify if it is:

• For train journey only
• A train season ticket combined with an STIB, TEC* or De Lijn journey

*For travel via TEC buses, please specify the exact names of the bus stops concerned

Journey interruptions

• You can get on or off at any station located along the route covered by your season ticket
• You can take a different route:
            o If it gets you to your destination sooner
            o Without interrupting your current journey
            o Without travelling beyond your destination station and then retracing your steps

Specific cases of Campus Cards and Half-time season tickets

• Journey interruptions are permitted on the route covered by the season ticket
• If you would also like to travel by STIB, TEC or De Lijn, you will need to purchase a separate season ticket.

Complex season tickets

With a complex season ticket (Standard or Student Season Ticket), you can travel to 2 or more stations or stops in Belgium. Depending on whether it’s a Standard or Student Season Ticket, the same rules of use apply as those in effect for season tickets of the same name apply to complex season tickets.

During your journey, you might want to check the time of your connection.
Several options are available to you:

• the yellow posters at the station: clear and simplified information showing the train timetables and platform numbers.
• in-station announcements: pay close attention to the speaker announcements at the station regarding train departures, platform changes, etc.
• the train manager: each train manager has a handy computer allowing them to contact their partners internally and provide the customer with real-time information.
• onboard information screens: some trains are equipped with screens that automatically display connecting trains when arriving at a station.
• Train Map: This tool provides you will information on the network status and the location of your train in real time.
• the SNCB-NMBS App: available on iOS and Android, the SNCB-NMBS App has information on train departures.

No, this is not allowed. You must travel in 2nd class and respect the stations of departure and destination. If you still wish to travel in 1st class with a ticket pucharsed for 2nd class, buy a Class Upgrade ticket.

If you are travelling in 2nd class: If you buy your ticket for your destination, the part in Luxembourg is free.
Tickets in 1st class in Luxembourg are still subject to a charge.

The concept of a border point is used for ticket pricing. It is by no means a railway station or a stopping point for embarking or disembarking passengers. A border point is considered to be the place separating the Belgian railway network from neighbouring railway networks.

Cross-border stations or cross-border stopping points are places of embarking or disembarking located on either side of the border between two countries. Advantageous fares exist for travel to cross-border stations such as Roosendaal, Maastricht, Aachen, Luxembourg, Lille, Maubeuge or Aulnoye-Aymeries.