The Belgian Federal Government is moving ahead with the installation of access gates in major railway stations, despite earlier opposition from passenger groups, unions, and the railway operator itself, Gazet van Antwerpen, Het Nieuwsblad and De Standaard report.
Frequent public transport users are expected to become accustomed to gates restricting access to platforms to ticket holders only. Following the rollout in the Antwerp metro, access gates will now be introduced in five large Belgian railway stations as part of a federal pilot project.
Which stations? That hasn’t been decided. But Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent, Liège seem obvious choices.
The issue of restricting station access to ticketed passengers has long been controversial within the Belgian National Railway Company (NMBS / SNCB).
Federal Mobility Minister Jean-Luc Crucke (Les Engagés) has now announced the introduction of access control systems in five major stations, arguing that the measure will improve platform safety and help reduce fare evasion.
Brussels-South Railway Station, which has been repeatedly linked to security incidents, is widely expected to be included. NMBS / SNCB has also shifted its position and now supports the introduction of gates, citing changing circumstances and persistent fare evasion.
The initiative aligns with broader political support for access gates in public transport. Flemish Mobility Minister Annick De Ridder (N-VA) is also installing gates in twelve Antwerp metro stations, with an estimated investment cost of €15 million, partly to address nuisance linked to homelessness and drug use.
Critical response
However, passenger organisation TreinTramBus and public transport unions remain critical. They argue that funding should instead be directed towards improving services, warn that gates are often vandalised abroad, and highlight that stations increasingly function as shopping and transit hubs for non-travellers.
Unions also caution that gates placed close to platforms may have limited impact on broader social problems, as nuisance often occurs near station entrances rather than on platforms.
Opposite conclusion in 2025
This policy marks a clear reversal from the federal position in 2025, when NMBS / SNCB and the federal government rejected the introduction of access gates.
At that time, the coalition agreement had called for a feasibility study into installing gates in major stations to combat fare evasion, VRT NWS reported. Following that study, Minister Crucke stated that the system was not a viable option because the expected benefits would not outweigh the costs.
According to NMBS / SNCB’s evaluation, the investment required for installation and maintenance would exceed the commercial, financial, and social benefits.
The railway company highlighted several challenges, including relocating ticket offices and vending machines, potential revenue losses for station retail due to reduced footfall, and negative effects on stations’ role as pedestrian passageways between neighbourhoods. Concerns were also raised about access for assistants and the broader openness of stations.
18 major stations
The study covered at least 18 major stations, including Antwerp-Central, Brussels-Central, Brussels-North, Brussels-South, Ghent-Saint-Peter’s, Leuven and Mechelen.
At the time, MP Dorien Cuylaerts (N-VA) criticised NMBS / SNCB’s rejection, arguing that fare evasion was widespread and that enforcement relying on conductors and Securail inspections was insufficient. She pointed to examples in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the Brussels metro system as evidence that access gates could be effective. In Belgium, only Brussels Airport-Zaventem Railway Station had gates, used to verify payment of the airport tunnel surcharge.
Despite this earlier conclusion that the business case was negative and the social drawbacks significant, the federal government and NMBS / SNCB have now reversed course, prioritising security concerns and fare evasion over the previous financial and social objections.
Not a miracle solution, but…
Access gates aren’t a miracle solution. But it gives travellers a clear message: the train is not free, but a ‘paid zone’. Too many people dodge fares or only buy a ticket when they see the train guard coming for ticket checks.
Access gates will also incite travellers to be on time at the station.
UPDATE | NMBS / SNCB downplays certainty over access gates as feasibility study is updated
NMBS / SNCB is striking a more cautious tone regarding the introduction of access gates in major railway stations. The company says it is updating a study carried out last year and is still examining multiple options.
“In the context of this update, several scenarios are being investigated,” NMBS said in a press release. “In addition to possible access gates, there are alternatives such as ticket validators and additional measures in the area of safety and fraud prevention.”
According to NMBS / SNCB, it will only become clear in April whether access gates will actually be introduced in five railway stations.
The federal Mobility Ministry has also adjusted its communication. “At this stage, NMBS is examining which conditions are needed to be able to set up a pilot project for access gates in 2026. Based on that analysis, a decision will be taken on whether the pilot project can go ahead,” the ministry now says.
So far, Brussels Airport station remains the only railway station in Belgium equipped with access gates. These were installed more than ten years ago, primarily to check whether travellers to and from the airport have paid the Diabolo surcharge, which helps finance the airport rail infrastructure.