Belgium‘s national railway operator NMBS / SNCB will celebrate a major milestone next week as it marks the 100th anniversary of its creation. On 23 July 2026, exactly one century after the Belgian Parliament approved the law establishing the railway company in 1926, passengers and railway staff will be treated to special anniversary activities, while…
Tag: Train
France welcomes 102 million visitors and earns €77.5 billion from tourism in record-breaking 2025
I turned 45 in June. I have this tradition – when possible – of not being in Belgium for my birthday. From Sweden in 2013 to the Châteaux of the Loire Valley in 2014, Lake Orta in 2015, Rome in 2016, London in 2018, North Carolina and Virginia in 2019, England in 2022, and Rotterdam…
REVIEW | Mazda Museum in Hiroshima
Autumn 2025. We – Sam and Danny, Michel and Wille, and Timothy – are travelling to Japan for a quite classic tour of the Land of the Rising Sun. We are flying separately as we used miles. On the planning: Tokyo, Kanazawa, Shirakawa, Osaka, and Expo 2025, Hiroshima, Himeji, Miyajima, Kyoto, Nara, Nagoya, Hakone, and…
Arriva expands Paris rail ambitions with extra The Hague to Belgium connections
Dutch rail operator Arriva has unveiled plans to significantly expand its international rail ambitions by adding direct services from The Hague and Amersfoort to Paris, complementing its previously announced Groningen to Paris route. The company is now targeting a launch in early 2028, although it acknowledges that the timeline remains uncertain.
EUROSTAR | From Brussels to London in Eurostar Plus (2026)
In 2024, I showed Oscar from Denver, Colorado the highlights of London. It was his first time in England. In contrast, Thanh and I have been to the capital of the United Kingdom many times. During the weekend of Pentecost 2026, we went together for a weekend of museums, food, and a concert.
France’s Intercités: a long-awaited renewal for the ‘forgotten’ rail network
For decades, France’s Trains d’Équilibre du Territoire – commercially branded as Intercités – have played second fiddle to the high-speed TGV and regional TER networks. These conventional long-distance services, encompassing both day and night trains, were established in 2011 to consolidate routes previously operated under brands like Corail Téoz, Lunéa, and Interregional.
LITHUANIA | Railway Museum and Rail Park in Vilnius
August 2025. We’re travelling to the Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and more specifically their respective capitals Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius. Are they interconnected by rail? Yes, but not in the most straightforward or userfriendly way possible. The Rail Baltica project should remedy this. Unsurprisingly though, this megaproject faces political and budgetary hurdles. It…
A loop as a creative solution for serving Cologne Main Station on a Frankfurt–London route?
Deutsche Bahn (DB) and Eurostar have teamed up to make a Germany to United Kingdom high-speed train link possible. But as independent railway commentator and specialist in cross-border passenger train connections Jon Worth knows, there are a few hurdles.
Taiwan High Speed Rail shows first N700ST trainset to boost capacity
Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) has unveiled the first of 12 N700ST trainsets ordered from the Hitachi Toshiba Supreme Consortium, marking a significant step in boosting the line’s capacity. The unveiling took place in Japan on 30 April 2026, with THSRC Chairman Shih Che present to inspect the new rolling stock.
Interrail and Distribusion partner to expand rail reservations across Europe
Interrail, the company – based in Utrecht in the Netherlands – behind the well-known pass that grants travellers flexible access to 33 European countries by rail, has formed a strategic partnership with Distribusion, the global leader in ground transportation technology. The collaboration is set to revolutionise the way passengers book seat reservations and access passholder…