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.
Tag: France
Booking headache deters almost two in three long-distance rail travellers, poll finds
The European Union should mandate ticket sharing and competitor display in upcoming law to make rail a more attractive and competitive option, Transport & Environment argues.
SNCF Voyageurs orders 15 extra Alstom Avelia Horizon TGV M, mostly for services to Brussels
In January 2026, SNCF Voyageurs confirmed an additional order for 15 next-generation TGV M high-speed trains from Alstom, underlining its ambitions to expand further across the European high-speed rail market.
Trenitalia plans Paris-area maintenance centre to support pan-European services, including potential London links
FS Group / Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane / Trenitalia is moving forward with strategic investments to support its expanding international high-speed rail ambitions, including plans to build a maintenance centre near Paris to simplify operations and support future services beyond France. BMFTV announced this in the margin of financial news.
A London-bound Eurostar terminal at Antwerp-Central? Highly unlikely!
A new use is being sought for the vacant space of Plopsa Station, located at the rear of Antwerp-Central Railway Station. Belgium‘s national train operator NMBS / SNCB owns the space and says it is open to all ideas. For Antwerp’s Alderman for Tourism and Mobility, Koen Kennis (N-VA), this opens the door to an…
PARIS | Boulevard de Sébastopol – Tour Saint-Jacques – Institut du monde arabe – Le Remontalou – Coulée verte René-Dumont & Viaduc des Arts – Place de la Bastille – Rue Pierre Seel – Hôtel de Ville – Rue des Mauvais-Garçons – Place des Vosges
On Thursday 11 December 2025, six months after opening and one month after closing on 11 January 2026, I travelled to Paris in France for the ‘Le mystère Cléopâtre‘ or ‘The Cleopatra Mystery‘ exhibition at the Institut du monde arabe (Institute of the Arab World). An excuse to visit the Light City, even if it…
Trenitalia (FS Group) and Certares agree strategic partnership to expand international high-speed rail operations
The Railways of the Italian State, Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane (Gruppo FS / FS Group), better known under the brand Trenitalia, signed at the end of December 2025 a strategic partnership agreement with American global travel investment firm Certares aimed at accelerating the development of international high-speed rail services, with an initial focus on France…
Antwerp International Airport still has large public support and political advocates, but must have healthier finances
A clear majority of residents in the arrondissement of Antwerp support the continued existence of Antwerp International Airport in Deurne. An exclusive survey conducted by Gazet van Antwerpen, published in December 2025, shows that 61% of respondents believe Antwerp should have its own airport, while only 14% are completely opposed.
FLANDERS | Ban on live animals at weekly markets impacts Vogelenmarkt in Antwerp
Since 1 January 2026, the sale of live animals at weekly markets is banned across Flanders, bringing an end to a long-standing practice that has been part of street life in several towns and cities for generations. The measure is part of the new Flemish Animal Welfare Code introduced by Flemish minister for Animal Welfare…
2026: Invisible?
August 2025. While staying at the Radisson Collection Astorija in Vilnius in Lithuania, we want to order something from the breakfast menu. But the table next to us, populated by a ‘very present’ group of eight or ten people gets priority. They’re treated as being important.