Public transport users in and around Brussels will now also be able to buy their Brupass and Brupass XL tickets – which give access to the networks of SNCB, STIB, De Lijn and TEC – digitally across all four of the companies' apps.
As passengers can buy a Brupass (XL) ticket for one or ten trips directly in the app of the public transport operator of their choice, they no longer need a MOBIB card for these tickets, just an account in the SNCB, STIB, De Lijn or TEC app. People must first download the latest version of the app and then create an account.
"The Brupass is STIB's best-selling transport ticket. Easy, fast and efficient payment solutions are also an important service for travellers," said Brieuc de Meeûs, CEO of STIB, the Brussels transport network. "After the success of the EMV system, the digital Brupass is an innovation that makes using public transport more attractive and spontaneous."
'Simplifying the user experience'
Whether the ticket is purchased and validated in the app of SNCB, STIB, De Lijn or TEC, it can be used across all four networks in and around the Brussels-Capital Region – making it the first cross-company digital ticket.
"The SNCB app is an important channel for train passengers to buy their tickets. The fact that the Brupass (XL) can now also be purchased this way makes it even easier for travellers to combine public transport in and around Brussels with one ticket," said Sophie Dutordoir, CEO of SNCB, Belgium's national railway network.
To activate the ticket, passengers have to choose the network on which their journey starts. They will then receive a QR code, which they have to show in the event of an inspection. In STIB's case, the QR code can also be used to open the entrance gates in metro stations; every Brussels metro station now has at least one gate with a new reader that can scan the codes from the app.
"By simplifying the user experience with this new digital ticket shared by the four operators, we can ensure that more people opt for public transport," said General Manager of TEC, Wallonia's transport operator, Jean-Michel Soors.
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Like a paper ticket, the digital version will remain valid for 60 minutes after activation with an unlimited number of transfers. It does not need to be scanned when boarding a tram or bus, but a transfer has to be indicated in the app – regardless of whether the transfer is within the same company's network (from a STIB bus to a tram, for example).
For Flemish transport operator De Lijn, the digital Brupass (XL) ticket will be added to its digital ticket offering in the app from the start of 2024, said the company's Director General Ann Schoubs. "With this, we want to give a boost to our clients in the Brussels-Capital Region, who often use multiple modes of transport to get around."
