One in 40 SNCB passengers travel first class, bringing in €35 million a year

First-class tickets brought in more than €35 million to the SNCB last year, mobility minister Georges Gilkinet has revealed in response to a written parliamentary question.

Only one in 40 passengers chooses to travel first class - 2.5% of all travellers - but first-class tickets account for almost 5% of total SNCB revenue, Gilkinet added.

The deputy prime minister said that he had no plans to remove the first class category, insisting that there was a “clear demand” among commuters.

Business travellers in particular are drawn to the comfort that first class offers, he added.