Announced in June 2025, the Franco-German night train initiative Nox (Latin for ‘night‘) has drawn immediate comparisons with the defunct start-up Midnight Trains, which folded in 2024. Back-on-Track.eu’s Juri Maier weighs up the viability of Europe‘s latest night train start-up.
Tag: Scotland
INDIA | Skyscanner sees rise of ‘shared experiences’ as travel trend
In its ‘Travel Trends 2025 Report‘, Skyscanner sees collective travel experiences as the trend of 2025 (and beyond?). It also sees people from India travelling more.
Brussels Airlines notes increasing demand for destinations with cooler temperatures, such Evenes (Norway), Edinburgh (Scotland) and Bilbao (Spain)
Brussels Airlines notes an increasing demand for destinations with lower temperatures in summer months. Belgium‘s national airline transports 12% more passengers to Scandinavia, compared to 2024.
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.
RAINBOW EUROPE MAP AND INDEX 2025 | United Kingdom, Hungary and Georgia drop dramatically on LGBTQIA+ rights ranking
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has dropped six places on this year‘s ILGA-Europe’s Rainbow Map and Rainbow Index, as Hungary and the Republic of Georgia also register steep falls following anti-LGBTI legislation. The data highlights how rollbacks on LGBTI human rights are part of a broader erosion of democratic protections across…
France, Spain, USA, China and Italy most visited countries in the world, Belgium 41st
France, Spain, the United States of America, the People’s Republic of China and Italy are the most visited countries in the world. Belgium ranks 41st, the Netherlands 20th. Not only the 193 member states of the United Nations are counted, but also other top level domains such as Hong Kong (17th).
Antwerp hosts The Tall Ships Races from 11 to 14 July 2026
The Tall Ships Races will be coming to Antwerp for the eighth time in 2026, with Ethias as the new main sponsor. Once again, a hundred young Belgians will be sailing as members of the ‘Antwerp Crew’. In addition, the organization is already looking for five ambassadors who will be able to participate in a…
London St Pancras Highspeed and Getlink aspire to to triple train services to France, Belgium and the Netherlands and add services to Germany and Switzerland
High-speed rail travel from London in the United Kingdom to mainland Europe is poised for a major expansion, with plans to introduce direct routes to Germany, Switzerland, and beyond. London St Pancras Highspeed (LSPH), the company overseeing St Pancras International and the high-speed rail link to Folkestone, has partnered with Getlink, the French operator of…
UPDATE | 65 countries where gay sex is illegal in 2025
The tally of countries with anti-homosexuality laws has again risen to 65 with last month’s official publication of a homophobic new penal code in Mali in West Africa, Erasing 76 Crimes reports. This means that in January 2025, 65 countries (and other entities) criminalise gay sex.
European Sleeper night train service from the Netherlands and Belgium to Barcelona delayed to 2026
A night train service from the Netherlands and Belgium to Barcelona in Spain? Not before 2026. European Sleeper announces a delay and blames SNCF Réseau, the railway infrastructure manager in France.