The amount is stated in an answer from the minister to a written question from PVDA Member of Parliament Maria Vindevoghel. “In 2022, offering a first-class service meant an average annual increase in revenue of approximately EUR 35.10 million for the domestic train service,” the answer reads.
There are no plans to abolish the more expensive first class, Gilkinet added. “The retention of 1st and 2nd class remains pertinent, as there is a clear demand for this from customers, especially daily commuters and the corporate public,” he says. “With the comfort offered in first class, NMBS also wants to attract extra travelers.”
According to the minister, about 2.5 percent of all travelers take a seat in a first-class carriage (2 percent of season ticket holders and 3 percent of occasional travelers). Together, first-class travelers account for about 5 percent of revenues. Those percentages have hardly changed in recent years, Gilkinet adds.
