Brussels: Using STIB MOBIB cards on SNCB trains

[crehld]

I hope someone familiar with public transport in Brussels can help me out a bit.

I have a MOBIB basic card issued by STIB (the Brussels public transport company). I usually load a ten journey ticket (called JUMP) on this and use it to get around Brussels, primarily using the metro and tram. I would like to use it to take mainline trains operated by SNCB (the Belgian national rail operator) within the Brussels area, as defined on the STIB public transport map.

However I'm rather confused as to whether or not my MOBIB card with its 10 journeys loaded on it is actually valid for this. The STIB website says it JUMP 10 tickets on MOBIB cards are valid. The SNCB website also seems to indicate STIB tickets loaded on MOBIB cards are accepted. But speaking to staff on the ground gets mixed messages - some say it's valid, others say it isn't (and others still, in true Brussels fashion, shrug and say they don't care). Furthermore since Brussels moved to a 100% paperless ticketing system, there appears to be no way to validate MOBIB cards. Where validators used to be present for paper tickets, now there is nothing. The old paper JUMP10 tickets were definitely valid - so has the move the paperless ticketed removed validity on SNCB services?

So two questions:

1. Is my MOBIB basic card valid on SNCB services in the Brussels region (say, for example, from Gare Centrale to Bruxelles-Luxembourg)?

2. If yes, how do I validate my journey before boarding a train?

Thanks!

 

[duesselmartin]

May I add a question. My long distance ticket say Bruxelles Zone. Does that include Schaerbeek?

 

[radamfi]

May I add a question. My long distance ticket say Bruxelles Zone. Does that include Schaerbeek?

Yes it does. There is a list of stations in each zone in the Dutch/French websites:

In Dutch:

http://www.belgianrail.be/nl/klantendienst/faq/terminologie.aspx

Zone
Geheel van stations gegroepeerd in één getarifeerd punt.
Een overzicht:

Zone
Stations die tot de zone behoren
...
...
...
Brussel

Bockstaal, Boondaal, Bordet, Bosvoorde, Brussel-Centraal, Brussel-Congres, Brussel-Kapellekerk, Brussel-Luxemburg, Brussel-Noord, Brussel-Schuman, Brussel-West, Brussel-Zuid, Delta, Diesdelle, Etterbeek, Evere, Haren, Haren-Zuid, Jette, Meiser, Merode, Moensberg, Mouterij, Schaarbeek, Simonis, Sint-Agatha-Berchem, Sint-Job, Thurn & Taxis, Ukkel-Kalevoet, Ukkel-Stalle, Vorst-Oost, Vorst-Zuid,Watermaal

In French:

http://www.belgianrail.be/fr/service-clientele/faq/terminologie.aspx

Zone
Ensemble de gares regroupées dans un seul point tarifé.

Zone
Gares dans cette zone
...
...
...
Bruxelles

Berchem-Ste-Agathe, Bockstael, Boitsfort, Boondael, Bordet, Bruxelles-Central,Bruxelles-Chapelle, Bruxelles-Congrès, Bruxelles-Midi, Bruxelles-Nord, Bruxelles-Ouest, Bruxelles-Luxembourg, Bruxelles-Schuman, Delta, Etterbeek, Evere, Forest-Est, Forest-Midi, Germoir, Haren, Haren-Sud, Jette, Meiser, Mérode, Moensberg, Saint-Job, Schaerbeek, Simonis, Tour et Taxis, Uccle-Calevoet, Uccle-Stalle, Vivier d'oie/Diesdelle, Watermael

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

So two questions:

1. Is my MOBIB basic card valid on SNCB services in the Brussels region (say, for example, from Gare Centrale to Bruxelles-Luxembourg)?

2. If yes, how do I validate my journey before boarding a train?

Thanks!

This says you validate it at a ticket machine before boarding.

http://www.belgianrail.be/en/travel-tickets/passes-cards/jump.aspx

 

[crehld]

This says you validate it at a ticket machine before boarding.

http://www.belgianrail.be/en/travel-tickets/passes-cards/jump.aspx

Thanks, despite hours of searching I did not find this page. Nor have staff on the ground been of any help (despite my best French). I'll try tomorrow or Tuesday and report back!

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Slightly off-topic, but it's Belgium-related.
Passed through Libramont tonight, en route Brussels to Luxembourg.
Our (male) guard left the train to greet 3 colleagues on the platform (all in uniform).
He kissed them all (1 female, 2 male).
They are nice and friendly in these parts.
Not something you would expect to see at, say, Crewe, on a cold wet night like this.

 

[crehld]

Thanks, despite hours of searching I did not find this page. Nor have staff on the ground been of any help (despite my best French). I'll try tomorrow or Tuesday and report back!

Thanks to radamfi for the tip. Using the TVMs worked. However it is certainly not an intuitive process and requires a lot of guess work and fumbling around. I tried in both English and French and it was not clear. A local came to my rescue to sort it out for me so I know what to do in future (it's under the "season tickets" option for some strange reason).

Anyway, said local seemed rather surprised I wanted to validate my card. Apparently since they removed the validation machines everyone's just been travelling for free!!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Slightly off-topic, but it's Belgium-related.
Passed through Libramont tonight, en route Brussels to Luxembourg.
Our (male) guard left the train to greet 3 colleagues on the platform (all in uniform).
He kissed them all (1 female, 2 male).
They are nice and friendly in these parts.
Not something you would expect to see at, say, Crewe, on a cold wet night like this.

Standard continental greeting - nothing strange about that whatsoever.