The Belgian national rail operator NMBS / SNCB is under mounting pressure over its planned order of new trains from Spanish manufacturer Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF), as political debate, legal challenges and international criticism threaten to delay the procurement.
Tag: Schaerbeek
The Rolling Tables dinner train experience in Belgium from 1 August 2025 and in the Netherlands from 1 November 2025
In 2024, Dinner Train was going to offer dine and ride train experiences in Belgium after doing so in the Netherlands. It never happened. Now, the concept gets a second chance under the brand The Rolling Tables.
GREAT BRITAIN | Network Rail tests steam locomotive with digital ETCS safety system
April 2025 has seen the start of testing at speed for the world’s first operational steam locomotive to be fitted with European Train Control System or ETCS technology. Tests are being done by Network Rail, the railway infrastructure (the tracks) in Great Britain. So England, Scotland and Wales. Not Northern Ireland.
BELGIUM | Fête du Rail at Rétrotrain, Saint-Ghislain
August 2024. Two weekends in a row, we experienced some Belgian railway heritage. On the 11th, we went to Baasrode-Noord for the Dendermonde – Puurs Steam Railway or Stoomtrein Dendermonde-Puurs over line 52. On the 17th, we travelled all the way to Saint-Ghislain for a special ride over freight railway line 100, organised by Le…
PHOTOS | AM66 ‘Klassiekje’ / ‘Classique’ Farewell Ride at Antwerp-Central Railway Station
Train geeks young and old gathered today, Saturday 14 December 2024, for the farewell tour or retirement ride of NMBS / SNCB‘s Classical Twin EMU, also known as AM66, MS66, MR66, ‘Klassiekje‘ or ‘Classique‘. The retirement ride started at Schaarbeek / Schaerbeek in Brussels, stopped and stops (as I’m writhing this post) Antwerp-Central, Ghent-Saint-Peter’s, Ath…
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.
TRAIN WORLD | ‘Draw me a train’ design and architecture exhibition from 19 September 2024
Belgium‘s national train and rail museum Train World in Schaerbeek (Schaarbeek) in Brussels proposes a new temporary exhibition: ‘Draw me a train‘ (‘Van schets tot trein‘,’Dessine-moi un train‘). The exhibition opens on Thursday 19 September 2024 and closes on Sunday 11 May 2025.
City of Antwerp annexes Borsbeek, which becomes the tenth district on 1 January 2025
On Monday 18 December 2023, the municipal councils of both the City of Antwerp and the Town of Borsbeek approved the merge. Borsbeek will become the tenth district of Antwerp. Antwerp is unique in Flanders in that it has a two-tier system of municipal government with a city council and district councils.
REVIEW | ‘Royals & Trains’ exhibition at Train World in Brussels
Until 22 January 2023, Train World in Schaerbeek / Schaarbeek in Brussels is hosting the ‘Royals & Trains‘ exhibition.
TRAIN WORLD | ‘Royals & Trains’ exhibition from 10 May 2022 until 22 January 2023
After the Orient Express exhibition, Belgium‘s prime railway museum Train World at Schaerbeek Railway Station in Brussels is preparing a new exhibition: ‘Royals & Trains‘.