Starting next month, Belgium's SNCB train conductors will no longer take cash for tickets purchased on-board, a move designed to make staff safer and more effective. Cash tickets will still be available in stations, as will (soon) upgraded toilet facilities.
The upgraded facilities will be provided by 2theloo, a company already operating in many stations and other public buildings in several parts of Europe. Fourteen of the largest stations are involved in the deal, including three in Brussels and the main station in Antwerp. Renovations and remodels will be underway within months.
The contractor will provide maintenance and staffing and will be reimbursed through a €1 fee to users, with children and disabled users free. In some stations, toilets are now free or have lower fees. The new setups will include nursing and changing spaces and toilets that have more space for mobility devices.
The elimination of cash tickets on-board will mean that conductors will no longer have to carry a bank of change and will mean less time taken for the less than 2% of all tickets that are sold on the trains. One reason for the low portion is that tickets bought on the train carry a €9 surcharge, which in some cases could be more than the fare.
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