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27 SEPTEMBER 2025 | Farewell Tour for ‘Benelux’ Intercityrijtuig (ICR) coaches in the Netherlands and Belgium 

Posted by Timothy on

On Saturday 27 September 2025, a special heritage train will operate across the Netherlands and Belgium to mark the approaching withdrawal of the last Intercityrijtuig (ICR) coaches from regular service. 

The day-long journey will be organised by Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS), NMBS / SNCB, Train World in Schaarbeek / Schaerbeek, SNE, Nederlandse Vereniging van Belangstellenden in het Spoor- en tramwegwezen (NVBS),  in collaboration with enthusiasts, giving travellers the opportunity to bid farewell to a type of rolling stock that has been central to Dutch and Belgian intercity travel for more than four decades.

The day starts in Amsterdam Central Railway Station. Stops are scheduled at Utrecht, ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Eindhoven, Maastricht, Liège-Guillemins, Namur, Ottignies, Brussels-Luxembourg, Schaarbeek / Schaerbeek, Antwerp-Central, Essen, Roosendaal, Dordrecht, Rotterdam. The day ends in Amsterdam.

Train World

In Schaarbeek near Brussels, a line-up will be held featuring a number of representatives of the Benelux trains. 

As far as is currently known, the line-up will consist of: NS ICNG-B promoting the  EuroCity Direct, an NMBS / SNCB T17 with I11 coach promoting the EuroCity, and locomotive NMBS / SNCB 1187 from the Train World collection.

Train World can be visited, although admission is not included in the ticket price. On the same day, a new temporary exhibition will open: ‘The occupied NMBS / SNCB, between collaboration and resistance‘. The museum also has a brasserie, while several cafés can be found around the station. In addition, the Docks shopping centre is located at the rear of the station.

Along the way

Along the way, enthusiasts and passengers will be able to experience both cross-border and domestic sections of the line where ICRm coaches have been a familiar sight for years.

History of the ICR

The Talbot-built ICR coaches were originally introduced in the late 1970s and underwent significant modernisation from the early 2000s onwards, after which they were redesignated ICRm. 

From September 2009, they played a vital role on the HSL-Zuid when 77 refurbished units were temporarily deployed on domestic NS Hispeed services pending the introduction of the new V250 trainsets. On the high-speed line, they were operated in fixed formations at speeds of up to 160 km/h, hauled by Class 186 locomotives. They also continued to operate on the classic Amsterdam–Brussels intercity until the launch of Fyra International in December 2012.

When Fyra International took over, ICR coaches were initially withdrawn. However, after the grounding of the V250 units in January 2013, they quickly returned to service on a temporary link between The Hague and Brussels. From then on, the number of ICR-operated trains over the HSL-Zuid and HSL 4 steadily increased, ensuring that the coaches remained indispensable for both international and domestic travel.

From our archive: the Benelux train.

2024

By 2024, the ICRmh formations consisted exclusively of seven-coach sets, most in sandwich configuration between two TRAXX locomotives. 

These were former international sets released from Brussels duty after 8 April 2025, when they were replaced by the new ICNG stock on the Amsterdam–Brussels corridor. 

The retired domestic sets had included a BDs driving trailer with bicycle spaces, an accessible toilet and the chief conductor’s office, but the international sets were considered to be in better technical condition and were thus retained for the final period of domestic use. The international formations also bore NMBS / SNCB logos alongside those of NS, reflecting their joint role on the cross-border route.

From December 2025, the process of full replacement by ICNG will be complete. On the 900, 1000 and 1100 series services, ICR and ICNG stock have already been operating side by side, but the heritage journey in September will be among the last chances to experience the traditional carriages in regular passenger use. Some withdrawn sets have already been sold abroad, while others are stored at Arnhem Goederen yard.

Royal Coach

Beyond their day-to-day service, ICR coaches have also appeared in several special roles. The most famous is the Royal Coach SR10, a converted ICR-4 first-class coach rebuilt in 1992 with bedrooms, a salon and dedicated staff facilities, finished in royal blue with a crown emblem. 

Other coaches were repainted for temporary projects such as the Intercity Plus in the 1990s, the Zilverrail youth and culture train of 2005, and the Hispeed Bs livery of 2009. These adaptations highlighted the flexibility of the ICR design and its ability to serve in both regular and ceremonial roles.

A farewell

The farewell ride on 27 September therefore serves not only as a nostalgic trip for rail enthusiasts, but also as a historical moment in Dutch and Belgian railway history. 

For more than forty years, the ICR has connected cities across both countries, bridging eras of rolling stock and acting as a workhorse during transitions to high-speed travel. Its withdrawal marks the end of an era, with the ICNG now set to take over as the backbone of both domestic and international intercity services.

Practical information. 

Heritage and other special trams and trains in Belgium