Belgium commits to phasing out diesel-powered rolling stock
Belgium is dedicated to finding alternative to the remaining diesel-powered rolling stock in Flanders, federal minister for Mobility Georges Gilkinet said in response to questions by a member of parliament this week. Battery-electric trains are...Read more
AllRail warns Belgian government for sustaining SNCB monopoly
AllRail, the European interest group for independent passenger rail companies, is threatening to file a complaint against the Belgian government with the European Commission. It warns that the plans to give a direct award for...Read more
Alstom to install ETCS on 120 Belgian SNCB locomotives
Supplier Alstom has won a contract for to equip 120 SNCB locomotives with train control system ETCS level 2. The project to install the system launches in October 2022 and will run for three years.Read more
Belgian government’s rail investment leaves infra manager unimpressed
The Belgian government has earmarked 250 million euros for investment in rail in the current budget. Rail freight in particular stands to benefit, with 181 million euros to be channeled in that direction.Read more
Belgian railways next to offer steep discounts
Starting on Friday, Belgian operator NMBS/SNCB will offer a monthly train pass at half price for domestic train travel. The move is intended to entice people to use the train for their daily commutes. The...Read more
European operators offer Ukrainian refugees free travel
Train operators from Germany, Poland, Hungary, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Finland and Lithuania have announced that refugees from Ukraine can travel for free. Also, a train service by the Czech RegioJet in cooperation with Ukrainian...Read more
NS wants to shorten Amsterdam-Brussels intercity by 40 minutes
According to Dutch Railways (NS), journey times between Amsterdam and Brussels can be reduced with 40 minutes by skipping many stations, mainly in Belgium, and by deploying the Intercity New Generation (ICNG) train by 2025....Read more
Belgian national railway company taps Alstom for electric Traxx locomotives
The National Railway Company of Belgium (SNCB/NMBS) has placed an order with Alstom for at least 24 electric Traxx locomotives to the tune of 120 million euros, the manufacturer announced on Tuesday.Read more
Alstom to supply double-deck M7 train cars to SNCB
The National Railway Company of Belgium (SNCB/NMBS) has ordered an additional 98 double-deck M7 multifunction train cars from Alstom to the tune of 268 million euros.Read moreNew Belgian public service contract for NMBS criticised
AllRail, the alliance of newcomers to passenger rail transport in Europe, has strongly criticised plans by the Belgian government to once again award a public service contract to NMBS/SNCB for ten years. This would leave...Read more
The hassle of booking an international train
COLUMN – The reputation of international train tickets is not as positive as it should be. International train tickets are considered expensive and difficult to book. In reality, they can be amazingly cheap, but are a...Read more
Belgian railways receive additional 250 million
The Belgian coalition government reached a budget agreement last week. Railways receive 250 million extra in the next three years. Most of this will be invested in infrastructure, to further develop rail freight transport. The...Read more
EU subsidises 2.4 million euros for ETCS upgrades on Belgian trains
Belgian rail operator SNCB/NMBS has received a subsidy of 2.4 million euros for the installation and updating of ETCS on its trains. The subsidy is granted by the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA), founded...Read more