Belgian postal operator bpost is to install parcel lockers at an additional 70 railway stations, in partnership with The National Railway Company of Belgium (NMBS/SNCB).
bpost parcel lockers have already been installed at 33 Belgian stations. The 70 new stations are expected to become operational by April 2023. The locations were selected by taking into account the area’s number of users, the density of the bpost network in the vicinity of the stations and the needs of local customers.
After NMBS/SNCB published a tender process with the aim of rolling out a parcel locker service to stations, bpost won the contract. NMBS/SNCB also intends to strengthen the partnership with bpost over the next five years.
According to bpost, this expansion forms part of its mission to increasingly motivate end customers to have their parcels delivered to a pick-up point, the most environmentally friendly option. This is because picking up a parcel from a parcel locker in a station as part of an existing journey cuts the carbon emission associated with delivery by 90%. The company states that stations are very popular locations for passengers, who do not always find it easy to get to another bpost pick-up point. They can pick up their parcels from a parcel locker 24 hours a day.