Yesterday evening, 25 May, European Sleeper‘s first commercial run departed Berlin. The first train with passengers left Berlin Gesundbrunnen station and has arrived in Belgium in the morning, passing Amsterdam and Antwerp. The non-profit organisation Back on Track Belgium, the interest group of night train passengers, is pleased with that train.
Tag: Europe
Will Belgium win the Eurovision Song Contest ever again?
In the aftermath of the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool I wrote an op-ed for Songfestival.be, a Flemish fan medium. This is a translation and slight adaptation, as the original was written fit for the Songfestival.be audience. Belgium won the ESC only once, in 1986 with Sandra Kim singing ‘J’aime la vie’.
Plans for a steam train heritage service between Brussels and Mechelen shelved
“If all goes well, Train World will operate steam train between Brussels and Mechelen (Malines), reports Gazet van Antwerpen. The service could start in 2020″, we wrote in 2019. Quod non. Minister for Mobility George Gilkinet (Ecolo) declared in Parliament it’s not happening because it’s too complicated.
RAINBOW EUROPE MAP AND INDEX 2023 | These are the LGBTQIA+ friendly and LGBTQIA+ unfriendly countries in Europe
Trans and intersex rights at the forefront of positive change for LGBTQIA+ people in Europe, the 2023 Rainbow Map and Index by ILGA-Europe finds. Despite intense anti-LGBTQIA+ attacks in several countries, equality is still advancing across Europe.
Air show for 100 years of Antwerp International Airport on 20 & 21 May 2023
Antwerp International Airport (ANR) in the Antwerp district of Deurne turns 100 on 25 May 2023. Te Stampe & Vertongen Museum organises an air show for the anniversary, on Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 May.
Belgium’s Great Spa Town of Europe Spa
After visiting the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Oriol and I decided to have dinner in the spa town of Spa. Yes, the word spa comes from Spa in Belgium, just as the duffle coat is named after the Belgian town of Duffel.
Brussels Pride – The Belgian & European Pride 2023 programme and schedule, parade route and itinerary
The Belgian Pride is dead. Long live the Brussels Pride – The Belgian & European Pride. The Brussels Pride is now run by Visit.Brussels, the tourism agency of the Brussels-Capital Region. Brussels Pride launched a new website with a programme and a schedule.
BELGIUM | Federal Parliament approves financial support of cross-border night trains
The Mobility Committee of the Federal Parliament has just rubberstamped the bill proposed by Minister of Mobility Georges Gilkinet (Ecolo) which aims to support the development of night trains departing from or arriving in Belgium. These are not to be confused with domestic commuter trains running at night to bring party people home… or to…
67 countries where gay sex is illegal
On Friday, 14 April 2023, the Cook Islands in the Pacific Ocean decriminalised homosexuality by repealing the law “indecent acts between males”. Time for an update of the list. Both ILGA World and Erasing 76 Crimes count the countries and US states which have laws against gay sex. Spoiler alert: the number of countries criminalising…
NS’ ICNG train set makes passenger debut as Benelux deployment delayed
On Wednesday 19 April 2023, Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) introduced its ICNG, nicknamed ‘Wasp‘, into commercial passenger service in the Netherlands. The rolling stock will further be deployment over the next months. Introduction on the Brussels – Amsterdam Benelux service is delayed.
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