Users will be able to travel to these regions with a single transport ticket. “For Belgian commuters, this works on the same principle as domestic traffic. The price will depend on the number of kilometers traveled and their category“, explains Vincent Bayer, spokesperson for SNCB. Standard and reduced fare tickets also remain valid for each destination. As for season ticket holders to Maastricht, no changes are expected either.
An international connection
Three regions crossed, three different languages, but also three operators. This project is the result of an association between SNCB and the Dutch companies Arriva and Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS).The collaboration is first carried out at the level of the equipment which belongs to Arriva. Then, the cars will run under the successive safety certificates of the SNCB and its partners.“, details the spokesperson. The crew on board will be Belgian for the stage linking Liège to Maastricht, then will become Dutch between the Netherlands and Germany. According to SNCB, “lThe target audience is a mix of tourists looking for a weekend getaway and the many commuters working abroad.”
In addition to the existing S41 line, this new connection will stop every half hour in both directions at Liège-Guillemins, Bressoux, Visé station, but also Eijsden, Maastricht Randwyck, Maastricht, Meerssen, Valkenburg, Heerlen, Landgraaf , Eygelshoven Markt for the Netherlands. In Germany, the line will board travelers at the stations of Herzogenrath, Aachen West and Aachen.
A first step towards a European rail network? “SNCB remains favorable to this type of international initiative. Our philosophy is to develop the train as a less polluting alternative to the car. Especially for long journeys abroad”concludes Vincent Bayer.
