In three years, demand for train paths for international services in Belgium has almost doubled, De Standaard noticed. This is increasing pressure on the Belgian rail network, where more and more sections are being declared saturated, and it is also affecting the availability of domestic train services.
Tag: inOui
NMBS / SNCB sees popularity increase of international train travel
Year after year, Belgian railway operator NMBS / SNCB is seeing growing interest in international train travel during the summer months. Since 2019, the number of bookings via NMBS / SNCB International has increased by more than 50 per cent, the operator says in a press release.
31 MARCH 2025 | Reopening France – Italy Fréjus Rail Tunnel kickstarts Paris to Milan direct train connection
Good news for train travel between France and Italy. The Fréjus Rail Tunnel will reopen on 31 March 2025, after almost two years of closure after the 27 August 2023 landslide in the southern Alps. The news enthuses rail industry blogs and trainfluencers. But there’s a but.
OUIGO ‘slow’ train between Brussels and Paris from 19 December 2024
NMBS / SNCB and SNCF Voyageurs are today – 5 December 2024 – opening reservations for the new classic train Brussels-Paris, for journeys from Thursday 19 December. The label EuroCity will not be used for this service, as it was during the 2024 Olympic Games.
EuroCity Brussels – Paris to run from 19 December 2024
The EuroCity from Brussels-Midi/Zuid in Belgium to Paris-North in France will start running regularly on Thursday 19 December 2024. From French perspective, the service will run under the OUIGO brand. This train service already ran in the summer for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
REVIEW | SNCF TGV inOui from Paris-Gare-de-Lyon to Barcelona-Sants
Six days. Five overnight stays in five cities in Spain. Lunch in Paris. Stopover in Barcelona. Then Córdoba, Seville, Granada and Málaga. An Andalusia Whirlwind Tour where we visit the Mezquita and the Alhambra. We’re touring Andalusia in October 2023 to follow the trend of travelling to hot spots outside summer, as we did with…
Benelux train Brussels – Amsterdam to become Brussels – Amsterdam – Lelystad in 2025 (with reservations?)
On 8 February 2024, the Nederlandse Spoorwegen, NS, presented its 2025 timetable. We already new there would be two Benelux / Amsterdammer / Brusselaar / Intercity Brussel train services per hour. But there’s more news. The Benelux train will swap Amsterdam Central Station for Amsterdam South (Amsterdam Zuid) due to engineering works and the service…
Belgium European champion for rail tourism
Previously, we shared the Eurostat statistics regarding intra-European Union travel in 2021. One notable statistic is the means of transport. Belgium is – or at least was in 2021 – champion at rail tourism.
REVIEW | Trenitalia Frecciarossa 1000 Paris – Milan in Business Executive
October 2022. As we wanted to test Trenitalia‘s Frecciarossa 1000 service from Paris to Milan, we planned a rail trip around it. From Antwerp to Paris with Thalys, the ‘Red Arrow’ to Milan and once in Italy continuing to Trieste and Bologna. The return trip took us to Basel in Switzerland to enjoy SBB‘s panoramic…
International Railway Union working on facilitating night trains, but very aware of the many challenges
Enthusiasm for night trains is on the rise. At least on paper, the night train offer in Europe is expanding. But there are quite a few challenges. Yet, the Union Internationale des Chemins de fer or UIC is optimistic. “The infrastructure is there, so it should be made full use of at night”, says Philippe…