100 Belgian rail stations to offer free drinking water

Anyone travelling by train in Belgium will be able to fill up their bottles with free filtered tap water in 100 stations by the end of 2024, Belgian railway operator SNCB has announced.

The service is already available in Bruges, Brussels-Luxembourg, Ghent-Sint-Pieters, Kortrijk, Ostend and Liège-Guillemins stations, with Charleroi-Central (formerly Charleroi-Sud) and Ottignies to follow soon.

Each water tap will also be accessible to wheelchair users, with an extra-low button to operate the appliance. The units are easy to find, with people getting the train just needing to look for the ‘Enjoy Free Water’ sign in the station concourse.

“By offering this service in 100 stations, 80% of travellers will have access to free drinking water,” SNCB said, emphasising that by allowing passengers to fill their water bottle for free, the rail operator is aiming to contribute to the reduction of plastic waste.

The service is also in line with the vision of SNCB, which with its rail service, “offers a sustainable mode of transport par excellence, therefore playing an important role in reducing Belgium’s ecological footprint,” with the company adding that “people who travel by train produce up to six times less CO2 than by car”.