Liverpool to Manchester on the very first – 1830 – railway line

Inspired by the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest, we travelled by train to England in March. Combining ESC host city Liverpool with the industrial heritage of Manchester. Manchester to Liverpool was also the first steam railway line ever. A perfect pretext to travel to The North.

NMBS / SNCB dons train in rainbow colours for pride

For International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, Biphobia, and Intersexphobia (IDAHOBIT) and for Brussels Pride, NMBS / SNCB added rainbow colours to one of its Siemens Desiro Main Line EMUs. The #trainbow refers to Trainbow Belgium, the LGBTQIA+ network at the Belgian Railways, i.e. NMBS / SNCB, Infrabel and HR Rail. 

Plans for a steam train heritage service between Brussels and Mechelen shelved

“If all goes well, Train World will operate steam train between Brussels and Mechelen (Malines), reports Gazet van Antwerpen. The service could start in 2020″, we wrote in 2019. Quod non. Minister for Mobility George Gilkinet (Ecolo) declared in Parliament it’s not happening because it’s too complicated. 

LIMBURG | Bokrijk, an open-air museum of folk buildings heritage

On sunny October 2022 Tuesday, Jeroen and I visited Bokrijk, an open-air folk heritage museum near Genk in the province of Limburg. The Netherlands have the Nederlands Openluchtmuseum in Arnhem, Sweden has Skansen in Stockholm and Belgium has Bokrijk. 

NS’ ICNG train set makes passenger debut as Benelux deployment delayed

On Wednesday 19 April 2023, Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) introduced its ICNG, nicknamed ‘Wasp‘, into commercial passenger service in the Netherlands. The rolling stock will further be deployment over the next months. Introduction on the Brussels – Amsterdam Benelux service is delayed.