Firstly, Mark Smith's assertion seems contrary to any split-ticketing practice I have experienced elsewhere in Europe (regional zonal systems excluded).
The following article states that Roosendaal was classified a "Belgian" station in 2010, replacing the border fares and meaning a decrease in price, following the example of Maastricht:
http://www.bndestem.nl/regio/roosendaal/roosendaal-wordt-in-2010-belgisch-station-1.648234
In
this thread which links to the above article regular users seem to suggest that tickets to/from Essen are required and are accepted on the IC train (Beneluxtrein).
The NMBS / SNCB website states a price of 3.20 € for Roosendaal - Essen. You can buy such a ticket here:
https://www.belgianrail.be/nl/diens...ling-zoeken/secure/koop-je-biljet-stap-1.aspx. However, you have to choose Biljetten Roosendaal, not Standaardbiljett, suggesting that Roosendaal is not in fact classed as a Belgian station but various through fares (including Go Pass tickets) are available.
The change-over point between two country's ticketing systems is normally either a station ( for example Schaffhausen in Switzerland) or a border (such as Aachen(Gr)). Border means that fares are available to/from a border in both countries and can be combined. Such fares are often good value and are (virtually always) not available online. They can usually be found at the Czech Railways site
http://jizdenka.idos.cz/IT.aspx, though in the case of Belgian Railways the prices quoted are about 25% above the NMBS / SNCB price (this is probably a higher fare released for sale abroad) but the site can still give some insight into the ticketing. This website shows the Essen - Roosendaal fr. (Belgium) fare 2 €. When Roosendaal is entered, there is an option of Roosendaal fr. (fr. presumably meaning
frontière) <1088> [Belgium] or <1184> [Netherlands]. The fare to Roosendaal itself at 4.20€, corresponding to the 3.20 € fare given by the NMBS / SNCB site.
This suggests that Roosendaal is not fully integrated into the Belgian ticketing system and that it is custom and practice to buy tickets between the Netherlands and Essen, though no official source seems to confirm that this is permitted. I hope that NMBS / SNCB would quickly reply to any contact made and confirm this.
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I have written to NMBS / SNCB customer services asking if a ticket between Essen and any station in the Netherlands and an Any Belgian Station ticket or a ticket to Essen are valid on trains which do not stop at Essen.
The reply:
Geachte,
je mag de beneluxtrein nemen met een GO PASS of RAIL PASS en als grenspunt Essen aanduiden, zelf als de trein er niet stopt, vanavond Essen moet u dan een bijkomend ticket te nemen,
mvg,
You can take the Beneluxtrein with a GO PASS or RAIL PASS and put in Essen as a border point, even if the train does not stop. From Essen you will need to buy an additional ticket. This suggests that using an Any Belgian Station ticket as suggested by Mark Smith may not be technically valid but it is custom and practice to do so.
