So I grew up in Belgium and went to live in Switzerland, there of course having grown up in Wallonia where rules and regulations are practically inexistent are not enforced… I did the same in Switzerland and I rapidely learned that laws are laws here. No exception. Also; in Switzerland I was aware that you get what you pay for. You pay a lot, you get a lot. And vice versa. So 1st class trains in Switzerland are usually pristine and have top services( in Belgium 1st and 2nd are similar; not much difference). Only négatives is that 1st classers in Switzerland ar expectedly snobby AF; and having grown up poor and become more well off it became harder.
Anyways, so today I had a bad day and was kind of angry. Had to meet up with old friends in Charleroi… anyways, I went to grab my tram to the train station but the tram was 10 min too late and ended up missing my first train. Was pissed of AF because this never happens in Switzerland.
I tried to catch my second train and because I had some work to do; I end up taking a 1st class train ride and also the second class was too full to work in.
Anyways; I take 1st class ticket and go in the 1st class train. There, there are clearly people who didn't pay to be there( drinking aldi cans of beers; very loud;..etc something you'd rarely see in Switzerland)…. while I payed extra to be there. While in the first class; it didn't really look like a 1st class. And there were no charging port per seat like there is usually in 2nd ane especially in 2nd class swiss trains. So I was furioso… I couldn't work, I was very late, people who didn't pay their 1st class were being very loud… and the controller just let it happen( "oh don't worry, it's ok ").
Anyways, that's how I realized that it was really different from Switzerland. I ended up chilling and relaxing! But all these things made me sooo freaking mad lol
by Emotional_Ice_7422
1 comment
That’s the difference between a country where train are seen as an alternative to car and countries where train are seen as “for those who don’t have cars”.
Belgium sees train as the mode of transportation for the poor/young/people who don’t have car. If you have a good job you have a company car anyways, right ? And if you have a car you wouldn’t take the train, right?
Everybody in Switzerland sees train as an alternative to traveling by car. And therefore the train is for everyone, the rich and the poor.
Things would be more like in Switzerland if richer people were taking the train. Because they would have more impact on the political decisions related to train development and policies.
SNCB’s turnover is 2.215 bn€. Only 2.5% of passagers chose 1st class. Regularly there are discussions about closing it… One more hints that politics sees train as a transport for the poor, and don’t even try to change this.
Signed – A user of 1st class in Belgian trains that uses train by choice.
NB: From my impression there is a difference between first class and second class in Belgium. I sleep way better in the train since I travel in first class (foam density, mainly). But yes, electric sockets are scarce (on most trains you have two electric sockets per 1st class coach) so it’s not perfect…