From May 2026, tram services between Antwerp-Central Railway Station and Linkeroever (Left Bank) will be suspended for at least six months due to major renovation works on the premetro tunnel, which dates back to 1975 and is in urgent need of refurbishment. In preparation, the Waasland Tunnel will close for three months this autumn. The…
Month: May 2025
Alstom wants its double-decker trains to ride through Channel Tunnel
French train manufacturer Alstom has confirmed that it is in discussions to supply its high-speed double-decker Avelia Horizon trains for use through the Channel Tunnel. While no contract has yet been signed, the move could significantly reshape rail services between London and mainland Europe, particularly on the heavily trafficked London–Paris route.
Mons Pride 2025 on Saturday 31 May
Another weekend, another pride in Belgium. After Brussels on Saturday 17 May, Namur (Namen) on Saturday 24 May, it’s now the turn of Mons (Bergen) in the province of Hainaut (Hainault with L if you want to honour Philippa of Hainault, Queen of England).
BRUSSELS | Pride Museum takes over MIMA from 15 June to 15 July with ‘What About Queer?’
The Pride Museum is taking over the premises of the former Millennium Iconoclast Museum of Art (MIMA) building in St. John’s Molenbeek (Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, Sint-Jans-Molenbeek). MIMA features in the wishlist of Pride Museum as future location. From 15 June to 15 July 2025 it will feature ‘What About Queer?‘. “A month-long experimental programme of artistic interventions,…
REVIEW | Speelgoedmuseum Mechelen Toy Museum
In 2024, the Speelgoedmuseum Mechelen or Mechelen Toy Museum in Mechelen (Malines, Mechlin), moved from the Nekkerspoel area of town to the Koning Allbertplein or King Albert Square adjacent to Mechelen Railway Station. Danny and I went to visit on a cold January 2025 Sunday.
Belgians choose safety, sustainability and convenience for summer travel: climate change, geopolitical instability and flight convenience shape 2025 holiday trends
The 2025 Europ Assistance Holiday Barometer reveals changing travel habits shaped by climate, politics and practicality.
EUROPEAN SLEEPER | Brussels to Barcelona night train to stop in Avignon, Montpellier, Narbonne, and Girona
In a May 2025 newsletter, European Sleeper lets slip its Barcelona-bound night train service will stop at Avignon, Montpellier, Narbonne in France, and Gerona / Girona in Spain‘s Catalonia region. This service will depart from Brussels in Belgium.
Seventeen EU countries condemn Hungary’s pride and protest ban as human rights groups launch legal challenge
In a move that has sparked widespread outrage across Europe, the Budapest police have formally banned an LGBTQIA+ march scheduled for 1 June 2025, citing its resemblance to Budapest Pride. This is the first known use of Hungary’s newly enacted ‘Anti-Pride’ law, and it has triggered an intense backlash from human rights organisations, 17 European…
Antwerp-Linkeroever Railway Station to reopen after all?
Belgium‘s train operator NMBS / SNCB and and rail infrastructure manager Infrabel are examining the feasibility of reopening a train station on Linkeroever (Left Bank) in Antwerp. Koen Kennis (N-VA), alderman for Mobility, expressed cautious optimism about the idea during a recent city council meeting.
FlixTrain orders 65 trainsets with Talgo and Siemens fit for Europe
FlixTrain, the private rail operator in Germany and subsidiary of global travel-tech company Flix SE, has announced on 27 May 2025 a landmark investment in European rail transport with the purchase of 65 high-speed trainsets.
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