Belgium national rail company SNCB has introduced new boarding zone markers on station platforms designed to make train boarding smoother and improve the overall passenger experience.
Travelers can now check the position of train cars directly in the SNCB app, matched to clearly marked platform zones identified by letters such as A, B, C and D.
Passengers often need to locate specific train cars before boarding, including accessible coaches, bike areas, first-class sections or group reservation cars. By providing clearer information ahead of arrival, SNCB aims to make boarding more comfortable, reduce confusion and help improve punctuality by minimizing delays during passenger boarding.
The system was first tested at Brussels-Central station, where platform signs were installed as part of a pilot project. Since last September, travelers have been able to view train car positions through SNCB’s Lab App, a testing platform used to gather customer feedback and evaluate the service. According to SNCB, both commuters and leisure travelers responded very positively.
The boarding zone system is now being rolled out at Hal station and Brussels Airport Zaventem station.
Expansion planned across Belgium
Passengers can now view the location of train cars in the SNCB app during train stops, with the information set to appear soon on platform display screens as well. In the app, travelers can access the details under the “composition” section within their journey information.
For example, passengers with reduced mobility can check in advance where the accessible coach will stop on the platform. If the accessible car is scheduled to arrive in Zone B, travelers can wait directly in that area before the train arrives, allowing for faster and easier boarding. The same applies to cyclists looking for bike-friendly coaches.
SNCB plans to expand the concept to additional stations including Namur, Charleroi-Central, Brussels-South, Brussels-North, Brussels-Schuman, Brussels-Luxembourg, Bruges, Antwerp-Central, Leuven and Ghent-Saint-Pierre.
The SNCB app has also received several new updates. Train departure direction is now displayed, and train cars are shown in order of travel and numbered sequentially, with Car 1 representing the front of the train.
Additional improvements include clearer display of connection times in the journey planner and more transparent information during service disruptions.
