Around 25% of seats on Belgian trains are not air-conditioned. However, improvements are being made and the aim is for all trains to be air-conditioned in less than a decade.
SNCB calculates its figures based on the number of seats available per train. Currently, almost three in four (71.8%) trains run by national railway operator SNCB are air-conditioned, an analysis by De Tijd showed, leaving the remaining passengers sweltering on warmer days.
During the morning rush hour, fewer trains are temperature-regulated. For journeys with arrivals between 07:00 and 10:00, the figure drops to 70.3%. In the evening rush hour, passengers have a slightly higher chance of commuting in a train with a comfortable climate, as 71.2% of seats are air-conditioned between 17:00 and 20:00.
SNCB tries to organise its services around this lack of air conditioning and passengers' needs. For example, newer trains are often in service on the busier train connections such as those to the Belgian coast, which become busier on warmer days. Passengers can check whether their train is equipped with air conditioning on the new SNCB app.
Ageing trains
Modern SNCB trains are more likely to have air conditioning. While all trains delivered to the company since the mid-1990s have air conditioning on board, older models (some of them delivered in the late 1970s) are not equipped with this technology.
These older trains are expected to remain in operation until the start of 2033, meaning warm trains will continue to be a reality for passengers for another eight years. However, the percentage of seats that are covered by this technology will increase in the meantime as new trains are delivered.
SNCB spokesperson Dimitri Temmerman confirmed to The Brussels Times that the figure will rise to 80% in two years, while by 2032, all seats will be air-conditioned.
