Austria’s Österreichische Bundesbahnen or ÖBB will expand international rail services in its 2027 timetable, introducing a Vienna to Stuttgart in Baden-Württemberg overnight train, Frecciarossa high-speed services from Munich in Bavaria to Milan in Lombardy, and Rome in Latium, and planned direct trains to Belgrade in Serbia for the first time since 2019. The timetable takes…
Tag: EuroCity
VIDEO | The Longest Train Journey in the European Union: From Finland to Portugal by train in 125 hours and 31 minutes
‘125 Hours – Europe’s Longest Train Journey: From the Arctic to the Atlantic’ 125 hours. 23 trains. 10 railway companies. 6,203 kilometres. From Finnish Lapland to the Algarve. Independent railway commentator and European cross-border rail connections expert Jon Worth has completed the longest train journey in the European Union. His record-breaking journey exposed both the…
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…
NMBS / SNCB: International train travel continues to grow in popularity among Belgian holidaymakers
International rail travel is becoming an increasingly popular choice for Belgians heading abroad during the summer holidays, according to new figures from NMBS / SNCB. Belgium‘s national railway operator says bookings for international journeys continue to rise, supported by an expanding network that now offers connections to more than 6,000 destinations across 15 European countries.
GoVolta launches daily Amsterdam–Paris train via Antwerp and Ghent, with tickets from €19
From 14 December 2026, Dutch rail operator GoVolta will begin daily services between Amsterdam and Paris, stopping in Antwerp and Ghent in Belgium, as well as in Haarlem, The Hague, Rotterdam, Lage Zwaluwe, and Roosendaal in the Netherlands, and Arras and Longueau (near Amiens) in France. Tickets for the route, which are available to book…
NS will not run EuroCity trains to and from Brussels to Eindhoven
The Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) is not adopting Dutch train passengers union Rover‘s proposal to extend the EuroCity Brussels-South to Breda route to Eindhoven Central instead of Rotterdam Central, the organisation states.
NETHERLANDS | The Hague aims to become Europe’s gateway with direct links to Brussels, Paris, and Berlin
The Hague, the Dutch seat of government and home to over 500 international organisations, is pushing to restore its direct rail connection to Brussels in Belgium by 2029. The city, which hosts institutions like the International Criminal Court, the United Nation’s International Court of Justice, and Europol, currently lacks a direct passenger link to the…
‘Freedom’ by Erwin Olaf enters final days at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam
On 2 April, I went to Amsterdam in the Netherlands with the EuroCity Direct to interview Ype Driessen of Fotostrips.nl on his first textual novel ‘Vanilla‘. I decided to combine it with a cultural activity.
NETHERLANDS | Arriva will not launch the Groningen to Paris service in 2026
Dutch private railway operator Arriva, which has been planning to launch open-access services between the Netherlands and Paris in France, via Brussels in Belgium, will not put this project into operation in 2026. The information was first revealed by Thibault Lapers on his Mobilithib blog, based on statements from the company itself.
BELGIUM | More than 9.5 million travellers took the train this summer
In Belgium in July and August 2025, more than 9.5 million passengers travelled by train, almost 3% more than last year, the NMBS / SNCB reports in a press release.