Dutch heritage railway operator Het Stoomgenootschap to run first trip in Belgium

Dutch heritage railway operator Het Stoomgenootschap will organise its first train journey in Belgium in March 2027, using a historic Belgian diesel locomotive that recently returned to service. The trip will be hauled by locomotive 5519, the only preserved Belgian museum locomotive authorised to operate independently on the country’s regular Infrabel railway network.

NMBS / SNCB to retire nearly 50-year-old I6 coaches

Belgium‘s national railway operator NMBS / SNCB is preparing to permanently withdraw its nearly 50-year-old I6 coaches from service, bringing an end to a fleet that has been running since 1977. I6 coaches were (are) laid out in a corridor + compartments set-up. A cosy and romantic design philosophy which is nowadays very rare.

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…

Belgian and Dutch passenger advocates call for swift reopening of Hamont-Weert railway

Belgian and Dutch passenger organisations are calling for the rapid reopening of the railway between Hamont in Belgian Limburg, and Weert in Dutch Limburg. Following a joint inspection of the nine-kilometre missing link, TreinTramBus (TTB), Dutch passenger organisation Rover and the Vereniging Treinreizigers Vervoer (vTv) concluded that the cross-border connection could be restored relatively quickly…

NMBS / SNCB’s centenary train visits Schaerbeek (29–30 August), Liège (12–13 September) and Antwerp (10–11 October)

NMBS / SNCB will mark its centenary with a unique travelling exhibition bringing together almost a century of Belgian railway history in a single 300-metre-long train. Featuring historic locomotives and carriages spanning from the 1930s to the latest generation of rolling stock, the exhibition will visit Schaerbeek / Schaarbeek in Brussels, Liège-Guillemins, and Antwerp-Central Railway…