Dutch heritage railway operator Het Stoomgenootschap will organise its first train journey in Belgium in March 2027, using a historic Belgian diesel locomotive that recently returned to service. The trip will be hauled by locomotive 5519, the only preserved Belgian museum locomotive authorised to operate independently on the country’s regular Infrabel railway network.
Tag: Cologne
NETHERLANDS | The Hague pushes for direct Brussels train from 2029
The Municipality of The Hague in South Holland is stepping up its campaign for a direct international train connection with Brussels in Belgium, backed by a broad coalition of businesses, international organisations, universities and regional authorities.
KOBLENZ | The Middle Rhine Museum or Mittelrhein-Museum at Forum Confluentes
After Bonn in 2023 and Münster in 2024, Dennis and I went further than North Rhine-Westphalia for our 2025 Christmas market in Germany outing. We went to Koblenz in Rhineland-Palatinate, at the confluence of the Rhine and the Moselle rivers. Hence the name of the city.
NMBS / SNCB to retire nearly 50-year-old I6 coaches
Belgium‘s national railway operator NMBS / SNCB is preparing to permanently withdraw its nearly 50-year-old I6 coaches from service, bringing an end to a fleet that has been running since 1977. I6 coaches were (are) laid out in a corridor + compartments set-up. A cosy and romantic design philosophy which is nowadays very rare.
KOBLENZ | Deutsches Eck, the German Corner at the confluence of the Moselle and the Rhine
After Bonn in 2023 and Münster in 2024, Dennis and I went further than North Rhine-Westphalia for our 2025 Christmas market in Germany outing. We went to Koblenz in Rhineland-Palatinate, at the confluence of the Rhine and the Moselle rivers. Hence the name of the city.
Italo interested in running trains in / to Belgium and the Netherlands, after conquering Germany
Italian private high-speed rail operator Italo is planning further international expansion after Germany, with Belgium and the Netherlands emerging as potential next markets from 2030–31.
Antwerp now linked to Cologne in Germany with direct Deutsche Bahn ICE via Brussels Airport
Antwerp is now directly connected to Cologne by high-speed train for the first time, giving the city a new rail gateway to Germany and, via Cologne’s major railway hub, onward destinations in Switzerland and Central and Eastern Europe. The new Deutsche Bahn ICE service also puts Brussels Airport back on the international high-speed rail network…
Antwerp sees increase in international train travel
International rail travel from Antwerp in Belgium is continuing to grow strongly, with Eurostar reporting a 16% increase in passengers during the first eight months of 2026 compared with the same period last year. The growth comes as Antwerp gains another direct international high-speed connection, with Deutsche Bahn’s ICE trains beginning direct services to Cologne…
EUROPE | Five combinations of one-day-cities you can visit in one-week trips
On 18 August 2026, Italy‘s Urban Mood Magazine published ‘10 Underrated European Cities to Visit in 2026 (Before Everyone Else Does)‘. I roamed the Trip By Trip archive to find ten other ‘not top op mind‘ cities in Europe to visit. Doing so, I stumbled upon a few one-day-cities which are best combined together.
RHINELAND-PALATINATE | Kurioos and Queer Koblenz
After Bonn in 2023 and Münster in 2024, Dennis and I went further than North Rhine-Westphalia for our 2025 Christmas market in Germany outing. We went to Koblenz in Rhineland-Palatinate, at the confluence of the Rhine and the Moselle rivers. Hence the name of the city.