Railway boss Sophie Dutordoir no longer has faith in mobility minister Georges Gilkinet. In a substantial letter, which leaked yesterday, railway boss Sophie Dutordoir talks about a “serious breach of trust”. The reason for this is the closure by NMBS of 44 station counters. Less than 24 hours later, Gilkinet (Ecolo) whistled back this decision. On Tuesday, Dutordoir and the board of directors will meet on this. The Flemish newspaper The morning talks about open war on the railways.
The changed customer habits are prompting SNCB to accelerate digitization and adaptation of its sales channels. For example, digital products and sales via digital channels are being further developed. The number of stations with ticket offices and their opening hours will also be adjusted in the course of 2021 to the evolution of ticket use and the transport plan. The reception of travelers remains assured everywhere. At the same time, NMBS continues to focus strongly on (sanitary) safety, supply, accessibility, services, digitization and sustainability.
Despite the sharp fall in passenger numbers in 2020 and at the beginning of 2021 as a result of the sanitary crisis, SNCB continues to deploy a maximum train supply to ensure that everyone who chooses the train can do so under the best possible sanitary conditions. At the same time, sales through the digital channels - including the machines present in all stations - will represent more than 2020% of sales in 75. The share of transactions at the counters decreased from 54% in 2015 to 34% in 2018, 27% in 2019 and 20% in 2020. A continuous measurement of customer satisfaction also shows that satisfaction with purchases via digital means is very is high (app: 93% and internet: 92%). In addition, 97% of customers are already using or planning to use the machine, website or app.
In January, SNCB launched a new version of its smartphone app, with which customers can now also purchase the Multi's (passes for ten journeys) in digital form. This is possible at a price that is cheaper than the paper version of the fill-in passes. The increased use and range of products for sale through digital channels has been accelerated by the current health crisis. The digital products are also less susceptible to fraud and help combat aggression: a badly or incomplete paper pass often leads to discussions with the train conductor, sometimes resulting in verbal or physical abuse.
In some stations, the number of customers turning to a counter has become very low, so that in some seventy stations the number of customers falls below a minimum threshold (ie an idle time of 60% to 92%). This results in a transaction cost that is higher than the price of a ticket. It goes without saying that, as a public service provider, NMBS must also deploy its financial resources efficiently and correctly, and this in all areas.
It is for these reasons that SNCB, like all other European rail operators and other public transport companies, will soon adapt its network of ticket offices, as well as the opening hours of some of its ticket offices. 44 * of the 135 counters (representing less than 6% of all transactions in 2019) will be gradually closed by the end of 2021. From 37 March 1, the opening hours of the ticket offices in 2021 other stations will be adjusted to the busiest times of the day.
A transition period is planned, running from March 1 to the end of 2021. During that period, these 44 counters will remain open two or three days a week. From March 2021, stewards will be present to inform travelers about the functionalities of the vending machine. These are easy to use and there is always a telephone number for free remote assistance: for example, the NMBS employee can help to purchase a ticket for anyone who needs it. Brochures will also be available to inform customers about the different sales channels (machine, app or website) that offer all SNCB products. Information and demonstration sessions will be organized regularly at the stations concerned. NMBS will also offer municipalities that wish to organize information sessions on the use of these new sales channels.
List of 44 stations where ticket offices will be closed by the end of 2021: ANS, BERTRIX, BEVEREN-WAAS, BINCHE, CHATELET, DE PINTE, DIKSMUIDE, GOUVY, HARELBEKE, HEIDE, HEIST, JAMBES, JETTE, JURBEKE, KONTICH-LINT, LEDE , LESSE, LEUZE, LIEDEKERKE, LUTTRE, MARBEHAN, MARCHIENNE-AU-PONT, MARIEMBOURG, MECHELEN-NEKKERSPOEL, MENEN, NINOVE, OPWIJK, PERUWELZ, POPERINGE, RIXENSART, ROCHEFORT-JEMELLE, SINT-GENIUS, SINT-GENIUS, SINT-GENIUS -RODE, TERHULPEN, TERNAT, TIELT, TORHOUT, VEURNE, VIRTON, WATERLOO, WAVER, ZAVENTEM
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