I can second that. Possibly the nicest route in Belgium.A scenic route would be the train from Namur to Dinant next to the River Muese
The line from Liege to Eupen is also spectacular. Lots of tunnels and bridges as it crosses the river many times.A scenic route would be the train from Namur to Dinant next to the River Muese
I am going to Brussels in a few weeks and wondering if there is anything interesting on the network. I am looking for any loco hauled services or older stock?
And continuing from Verviers to Aachen. In my days of Belgian train travel the Brussel-Koln still went that way.The line from Liege to Eupen is also spectacular. Lots of tunnels and bridges as it crosses the river many times.
Namur to Luxembourg through the Ardennes is also good.A scenic route would be the train from Namur to Dinant next to the River Muese
German names also exist (Brüssel, Lüttich, etc.), but you'll hardly see them. In Brussels, you'll normally see French here and Dutch there, depending where you look.Beware, everywhere has 2 names. but some have an English name too. So there is Antwerp (English), Antwerpen (Flemish), Anvers (French)
Well, not really. Since this week, the oldest passenger stock visible in Belgium are the two sleeping cars included in the consist of the European Sleeper Brussels - Amsterdam - Berlin. They are wagons lits type P, which were built in 1955.The 5000 train series (Aachen-Spa) is still a safe place (IIRC until December 2023) for the last class 66 and 70JH EMUs (the last "classic" EMUs with camshaft control gear and the oldest rolling stock still in regular service) and also relatively scenic.
On a recent visit I travelled on an Intercity train formed of four types of rolling stock. I10 and I11 single deckers with M6 and M7 double deckers. All through wired for push pull working so the locos at both ends of the train were powering. The M4 stock is wired for push pull working too. The M6 driving trailers can work with class 27 or the newer class 18 and 19.The double decker hauled(/pushed) stock is rather nice.
Last summer I saw quite a few trains with a mix of single and double decker coaches which is something of a novelty.
There are no advanced fares in Belgium for domestic trains. You can buy a ticket for any date, the price will be the same, even if boarding in the next 10 minutes... WWW.SNCB.BE will give you the prices. It's quite moderate compared with neighbor countries.Some great ideas here, are the ticket prices reasonable for walk up fares?
On a recent visit I travelled on an Intercity train formed of four types of rolling stock. I10 and I11 single deckers with M6 and M7 double deckers. All through wired for push pull working so the locos at both ends of the train were powering. The M4 stock is wired for push pull working too. The M6 driving trailers can work with class 27 or the newer class 18 and 19.
Is that the BR system as used on the Scotrail class 47/7s and also on the west coast line? Or different?There are no advanced fares in Belgium for domestic trains. You can buy a ticket for any date, the price will be the same, even if boarding in the next 10 minutes... WWW.SNCB.BE will give you the prices. It's quite moderate compared with neighbor countries.
No special wiring required. The remote control signals are time-division multiplexed and sent over the standard UIC cable (used for various things like public adress) present on all cars since the 80ies. Any car fitted with that cable can be inserted in a push-pull or top'n tail (or even loco in the middle) consist. Only needs two compatible locs or a driving trailer compatible with the loco at the other end.
No idea. But belgian railways heavily suffers from the "not invented here" syndrome...Is that the BR system as used on the Scotrail class 47/7s and also on the west coast line? Or different?
The system used on the 47/7s was different to that used on the electric loco fleet. I’d be amazed if the Belgian system was identical.Is that the BR system as used on the Scotrail class 47/7s and also on the west coast line? Or different?
The system used on the 47/7s was different to that used on the electric loco fleet. I’d be amazed if the Belgian system was identical.
Yes: both BR systems used the RCH jumper cables.But possibly used the same cables to communicate signals via a different protocol.
What was the stock and destination of the via Ghent trainI sampled a few routes of the Belgian Rail Network.
This included Brussels to Brugge via Ghent
Brugge to Brussels via Kortrijk
Brussels to Charleroi
There appeared to work on going on the line to Charleroi.
I never managed to get on a regular single decker loco hauled carriage.
It was Blakenberge and it was one of them funny looking EMUS with a rubber like surround.What was the stock and destination of the via Ghent train
Line 6 was the line I used to my hotel out near Heysel.I've actually just come back from Brussels. I had loco hauled stock on my train from Charleroi to Brussels (it carried on to Antwerp), and from Brussels to Brussels Airport (I think it might have come from Oostende). There's also plenty of late 70s trams (I found them on route 51 from Brussels South station to Heysel, but there may be others). The Brussels Metro has plenty of stock dating from the 70s - 80s - I found that line 6 was a good place to find those.
Was it on the weekendIt was Blakenberge and it was one of them funny looking EMUS with a rubber like surround.
Line 6 was the line I used to my hotel out near Heysel.
Not any more I'm afraid. Mainly M7 power cars now but some are still booked for AM96 units.Was it on the weekend
As the blankenberge routes are usually local hauled m6s in my experience
You'll still find them on Eupen-Oostende. Currently often 6 M7, 3 I11 and 1 I10.This included Brussels to Brugge via Ghent
Brugge to Brussels via Kortrijk
Brussels to Charleroi
There appeared to work on going on the line to Charleroi.
I never managed to get on a regular single decker loco hauled carriage.