NMBS / SNCB to order 180 CAF Civity trains, including battery-powered sets

The Board of Directors of the National Railway Company of Belgium, the NMBS / SNCB, is set to award the contract for the new MR30 / AM30 trains to manufacturer Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) from the Basque Country in Spain, Thibault Lapers‘ mobilithib blog has learned from a source.

Antwerp Pride 2026 from Wednesday 5 to Sunday 9 August

The 18th edition (since 2008) of Antwerp Pride took place from Wednesday 6 to Sunday 10 August 2025 in Antwerp. This year’s theme was “Do not just march! Listen. Understand. Commit”. Prides are a mix of celebration – parties – and activism and advocacy. For the 2025 edition, the organising committee focused on belonging. Belonging…

Introducing the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

We haven’t travelled to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg since 2018 and 2019, but in January 2025 we returned to get a taste of the Alstom Coradia Stream HC which the Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois (CFL) runs under the name Série 2400. The Coradia Stream HC was a candidate to become NMBS…

SOLO TRAVEL | More expensive, but also some advantages

In the advent of Valentine’s Day 2025, Gazet van Antwerpen (GvA) analysed the situation of single people. The number of households consisting of one person is on the rise. While ‘living alone’ isn’t the same as ‘being alone’ (romantically), it’s an indication. GvA looks into housing, the fiscal situation… but also travel. Travelling solo is…

Belgium to host Eurovision Song Contest 2026? But in which city?

Coming Saturday, 1 February 2025, a jury and the television watching public will decide will represent Belgium for Flemish public broadcaster VRT at the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest in Basel in Switzerland. Oddly, Belgium has been on top of the bookmakers’ charts for the outright win. Íf, and it’s a big íf, that happens, which…

Are there too many hotels in Antwerp?

At the start of December 2024, Antwerp welcomed a brand new hotel: a Motel One at Oever, in the city centre near St. Anne’s Pedestrian Tunnel (Sint-Annavoetgangerstunnel). And a new Van der Valk Hotel is readying a space near City Park (Stadspark). But the Antwerp Hotel Association believes that too many hotels are being added,…