According to a recent tweet, the expectation is for the SNCB Board of Directors to present a Transportation Plan proposal that is in line with the public service contract and additional resources that have been guaranteed to them for the next 10 years. The goal is to improve train services and provide better service to citizens. The closure of 20 stopping points is not feasible in this context.
“If we have given SNCB a public service contract and additional resources guaranteed over 10 years, it is, as we have been doing for 2 years, to run more trains and provide an even better service to citizens. not the other way around. I therefore expect the next SNCB Board of Directors to submit an ambitious 23-26 Transport Plan proposal that complies with the contract we signed on 23 December last. And the closure of 20 points of stopping is obviously not possible in this context,” he said on Twitter.
In conclusion, the future of SNCB’s transport plan remains uncertain as the closure of 20 stopping points is ruled out by the Belgian Minister of Mobility. With a public service contract and additional resources guaranteed for the next 10 years, the focus should be on improving the service to citizens rather than making cuts. The next SNCB Board of Directors has been challenged to come up with an ambitious proposal in compliance with the contract signed in December. It remains to be seen how this will play out, but one thing is for sure: the needs of the citizens should always come first.