The term 'reduced mobility' does not only apply to persons in wheelchairs. It refers to anyone who has temporary or permanent difficulties moving around. This may be due to reduced physical, sensory or mental capabilities, or the result of a given situation.

For example, the following persons fall under the term 'passengers with reduced mobility': a person moving with crutches or in a wheelchair, a blind or partially sighted person, a deaf person, a mute person, an elderly person, a person carrying luggage, a person with a pushchair, etc.

The railway company cannot refuse to sell a ticket to a person with reduced mobility. It cannot charge any additional costs either in this respect.

Furthermore, railway companies cannot require that passengers with reduced mobility be accompanied, unless this is really necessary. 

When you request it, the railway company must provide you with information regarding accessibility.

If you are not allowed on the train or if they require that you are accompanied, you can oblige the railway company to give a written reason within five working days. The railway company or ticket vendor should do its best to propose an acceptable alternative, taking into account your accessibility needs.

Stations, platforms, trains, etc. must be accessible to persons with reduced mobility.

If there are no staff in the vicinity, the railway company must ensure that passengers with reduced mobility can go anywhere, as far as is feasible. 

Railway companies are not allowed to charge extra when you ask for assistance.

For boarding and disembarking, they must help you if you:

• request this at least 24 hours in advance;
• are waiting in the agreed place. They cannot ask you to be there more than an hour in advance. Was no time communicated to you? Then you are expected to be there at least half an hour before departure.

If you want to leave without having asked for help in advance, the railway company must make every effort to ensure that you can still travel.

Note: Some countries may exceptionally ask you to request assistance 36 hours in advance instead of the 24 hours mentioned above. This exception expires after 30/06/2026 and SNCB does not apply it.

Your qualified assistance dog may also accompany you in the station or on the train. Apart from some exceptions, you and your certified assistance dog are entitled to access public places in Belgium.

You do not need to purchase a Pet Supplement if you travel with your certified assistance dog on an SNCB train. However, you must be able to present an accessibility card or certificate from a recognised training centre.

If the railway company loses or damages mobility equipment, it must pay compensation. This is also the case if it is at the cause of the loss of or injury to an assistance dog.

Such compensation includes the cost of:

• replacement and repair of the lost or damaged mobility equipment;
• replacement of the assistance dog or treatment of the injury.

Railway companies must do their best to provide you with a temporary replacement of the equipment or assistive devices as soon as possible. You may keep this equipment until the compensation mentioned above has been paid.

If the railway undertaking does not offer a temporary solution and you have to temporarily replace certain equipment or an assistance dog yourself, it must reimburse you the reasonable costs for this.