August 2025. We’re travelling to the Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and more specifically their respective capitals Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius. Are they interconnected by rail? Yes, but not in the most straightforward or userfriendly way possible. The Rail Baltica project should remedy this. Unsurprisingly though, this megaproject faces political and budgetary hurdles. It…
Antwerp Hotel Association laments disappointing 2026 Easter Holiday
Antwerp’s hotels experienced a less successful Easter Holiday than hoped, according to the Antwerp Hotel Association. While rooms were well occupied during the Tour of Flanders weekend, a poor second week dragged the average down.
LEO EXPRESS | Renfe deploys Talgo VI trains in Central Europe to launch new Czech-Slovak rail links
Spain‘s state-owned operator Renfe has introduced its Talgo VI rolling stock in Central Europe, enabling its subsidiary Leo Express to launch new international services between Czechia and Slovakia.
BELGIUM | Infrabel to upgrade Antwerp-Berchem and add second track between Mol and Neerpelt, amongst other major projects
Belgium’s Federal Government has approved an update to the performance contract of rail infrastructure manager Infrabel, paving the way for a series of new railway investment projects aimed at improving safety, reliability and capacity, particularly in port areas.
Leuven wins silver at European Capitals of Inclusion and Diversity Awards
The city of Leuven (Louvain) in Flemish Brabant, Flanders, Belgium received a silver award at the fifth European Capitals of Inclusion and Diversity Awards, held in Brussels on Tuesday 21 April 2026. The awards, organised by the European Commission, recognise cities, municipalities, and regions that excel in promoting inclusion, diversity, and combating discrimination.
Brussels Airlines & Lufthansa Group end free hand luggage on short- and medium-haul flights
Brussels Airlines, alongside its sister carriers within the Lufthansa Group, is set to introduce a new fare structure that will see the end of free hand luggage on short- and medium-haul flights. The new Economy Basic fare will include only one personal item, such as a laptop bag or small rucksack, with passengers required to…
REVIEW | The Railway Museum, Ōmiya, Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture
Autumn 2025. We – Sam and Danny, Michel and Wille, and Timothy – are travelling to Japan for a quite classic tour of the Land of the Rising Sun. We are flying separately as we used miles. On the planning: Tokyo, Kanazawa, Shirakawa, Osaka, and Expo 2025, Hiroshima, Himeji, Miyajima, Kyoto, Nara, Nagoya, Hakone, and…
Lufthansa Group cuts summer flights to save fuel amid rising costs
The Lufthansa Group is reducing its summer flight schedule by nearly one percent in available seat kilometres (ASK), citing soaring jet fuel prices and a strategic shift to consolidate its European network.
Nox Mobility secures €2 million in pre-seed funding for new night train service
Nox Mobility, a Berlin-based startup, has secured €2 million in pre-seed funding to develop a new generation of overnight rail services featuring fully private rooms. The funding round was led by IBB Ventures, with additional support from Italian investor Tommaso Lucca and industry figures such as Dr Patrick Andrae, co-founder and CEO of HomeToGo.
Sweden invests in Talgo night trains: “a sustainable, comfortable leap for northern travel”
Sweden’s national transport authority, Trafikverket, signed a landmark €756 million contract with Spanish manufacturer Talgo on 20 April 2026, securing a new fleet of modern night and daytime trains. The agreement, celebrated in Stockholm with Sweden’s minister of infrastructure and housing, Andreas Carlson, and Talgo’s president, José Antonio Jainaga, marks a major step towards revitalising…