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 more
New 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
Belgian Railways shifts to ETCS
Belgian railway undertaking NMBS/SNCB is planning to equip 23 locomotives of HLD77 type with ETCS. To this end, Alstom will supply the new train protection system based on its Atlas platform. The retrofitted vehicles will...Read more
European railways return to normal operations after lockdown
After almost two months in lockdown, European railway operators are gradually coming back to their normal activities. Some companies have already restored their complete schedule, others have done this only partially. However, all of them...Read more
Thalys and Eurostar may merge into one entity
European cross-border high-speed railway operators Thalys and Eurostar may merge into one entity. By 2030, the combined company will serve 30 million passengers a year and make a significant contribution to the EU’s ‘shift to...Read more
Modernisation of busiest railway line in Belgium draws to close
From 14 October to 11 November, the Belgian rail infrastructure manager Infrabel will perform the modernisation works at the Brussels-South station. It is the final stage of the project to upgrade the railway corridor between...Read more
NMBS has no plans for its own Three Countries Train
For a number of years, Dutch and Belgian authorities, rail operators and rail infrastructure managers have been discussing an international rail connection between four cities in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. Until the Dutch trains...Read more