August 21, 2025
The most polluting way to travel is almost always the cheapest. Or: Trains are often slightly cheaper than planes. It’s a matter of interpretation or wording, but these are two headlines about a new Greenpeace study on the fact that flying in Europe is cheaper than talking the train in more than half of all […]
August 20, 2025
The Antwerp-based maritime group CMB.TECH is acquiring Golden Ocean, the Norwegian dry bulk shipping company. The acquisition, not a traditional cash acquisition but a merger through a share exchange, was approved yesterday by Golden Ocean’s shareholders during an extraordinary general meeting in Hamilton, Bermuda’s capital. The merger will make CMB.TECH one of the largest listed […]
August 19, 2025
The Brussels Ring Road is only 75 km long, but it can be seen as a symbol of Belgium’s communal complexity. The Works Association (De Werkvennootschap), an entity within the Flemish government established to tackle complex projects, has just reached an agreement with the environmental organization Dryade on the redevelopment of the Brussels Ring Road, […]
August 18, 2025
No one bats an eyelid anymore at a billionaire with a private jet or a collection of exclusive luxury cars. But having your own private train carriage or railway line is, of course, a different matter altogether. In the United States in particular, investing in historic train cars has been the latest status symbol for […]
August 14, 2025
Cowboy, the Brussels-based manufacturer of trendy, usually dark black electric bikes, has always been surrounded by a certain amount of financial haze. The recall of the C4 ST (Edition MR) model in early May due to the risk of frame breakage has once again thrown the company into turmoil. There is even talk of a new […]
August 14, 2025
The Brussels public prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into an incident at Brussels North train station in which Securail agents allegedly assaulted a woman of African origin. According to the public prosecutor’s office, blows were inflicted by both a Securail officer and another person involved in the incident. Both are now under investigation, but […]
August 13, 2025
The European Space Agency (ESA) has successfully launched an Ariane 6 rocket from French Guiana, placing the four-ton MetOp-SG-A1 satellite into orbit around the Earth. The satellite will monitor weather, climate, and air pollution, marking an important step toward greater European independence in space and meteorology. More accurate measurements The MetOp-SG-A1 is equipped with six […]
August 12, 2025
Brussels is getting a new cycle highway: the C223 will connect Bockstael (Laeken) with the former Kuregem station (Anderlecht) along railway line 28, which runs between Schaerbeek station and Brussels-South. The 6.5 km long cycle and walking path, which is being constructed just now by the Brussels public works contractor Beliris, crosses five municipalities: the […]
August 11, 2025
Energy company Engie has successfully fired up its new combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plant in Flémalle, near Liège, for the first time, completing extensive tests of all essential systems. The first ignition marks the transition from the construction phase to the operational testing phase. By November, the plant is expected to add approximately 875 […]
August 08, 2025
The trains of the Belgian public railway company NMBS/SNCB ran more punctually in July compared to a year ago. In July, 93,4% of trains arrived on time or with a maximum delay of 6 minutes in Brussels or at their destination. This means that punctuality was higher than in July last year, when it was […]
August 08, 2025
The Belgian public railway company NMBS/SNCB has dismissed a train driver for posting a live video on TikTok while driving a train. This was reported by the newspaper Le Soir, among others. Or how a well-intentioned “proportional initiative”, according to the train driver, turned into a personal nightmare. According to the newspapers, the incident dates to […]
August 07, 2025
The Italian government has approved the project to build a 3.3-kilometer suspension bridge across the Strait of Messina. It will be the longest suspension bridge in the world, connecting Sicily to the Italian mainland. The project, scheduled for completion by 2032, has a price tag of € 13.5 billion. The arrival of the bridge, already […]
August 06, 2025
Until 17 August, Belgian rail network operator Infrabel will be renewing 24 km of sleepers on the section between Hoegaarden and Pousset. The company is using a 700-meter-long mega work train for this to replace around 40,000 sleepers. This Austrian work train, weighing 1,600 tons, travels across Europe to undertake massive construction projects. This is […]
August 05, 2025
Many cities and policymakers dream of it, but few can achieve what Helsinki accomplished last year: zero traffic fatalities. The formula behind these exceptional figures is the introduction of a 30 km/hour speed limit in the city. But speed limits were certainly not the only important factor contributing to this success. The zero traffic fatalities […]
August 01, 2025
Heathrow Airport in London wants to expand for 49 billion pounds, or more than 56 billion euros. The plan includes the construction of a controversial third runway of 3,5 kilometers, which is expected to cost at least 24 billion euros. A new terminal will also have to be built, current facilities will have to be […]
August 01, 2025
Lufthansa more than doubled its profits in the second quarter of this year despite recent trade tensions. “The Lufthansa Group remains on track,” says CEO Carsten Spohr, referring to the net profit of 1.2 billion euros. Air France-KLM also reported significantly higher profits in the past quarter compared to the same period a year earlier. […]
July 31, 2025
Starting October 12, the European Union will begin the gradual rollout of a new electronic border control system, known as the entry and exit system (EES). Under this automated control system, third-country nationals wishing to enter or exit the EU (or Switzerland and Liechtenstein) will be required to provide their biometric data, fingerprints, and a […]
July 30, 2025
Eureka moment at MIVB/STIB: the Brussels public transport company has made a breakthrough in the issue of noise pollution caused by the wheels of the new M7 metro trains. The wheel manufacturer has developed new wheels that meet strict technical criteria. Production has already started, and delivery is scheduled for the last quarter of 2025, […]
July 30, 2025
Belgian postal services, Bpost, has ordered 500 new electric vehicles, which are expected to arrive in the fall. As a result, the postal company’s fleet of EVs will soon exceed 3,000 units. According to the company, this makes Bpost’s fleet not only the most significant operational fleet in Belgium, but also the greenest. As a […]
July 29, 2025
It was already known that the Flemish government provides compensation support to major CO2 emitters. But according to the newspaper De Standaard, that support has increased from 36 million euros in 2019 to almost 270 million euros today. The top 10 beneficiaries include large companies, such as ArcelorMittal, BASF, ExxonMobil, and TotalEnergies. The support concerns the […]
July 28, 2025
Qatar is threatening to stop gas supplies to the European Union. The threat comes in response to the European duty of care law on forced labor and environmental damage. This is evident from a letter from Qatar to the Belgian government, which was seen by Reuters news agency. Qatar is the world’s third-largest exporter of […]
July 28, 2025
Train services between Liège-Guillemins and Verviers will be suspended entirely from today until Sunday, 24 August. Infrabel is starting a major modernization project on line 37. The works include the renewal of points, tracks, overhead lines, and signaling. Certain bridges will also be renovated, including a bridge in Pepinster that was severely damaged by the […]
July 25, 2025
Car manufacturer Stellantis, with brands such as Peugeot, Citroën, Opel, Jeep, and Fiat, will cease production of combustion engines at its Douvrin facility in the northern French department of Pas-de-Calais. The approximately 350 employees at the site will be transferred to the nearby ACC gigafactory, a joint venture for battery production, or to other sites […]
July 24, 2025
The Board of directors of the Belgian public railroad company NMBS/SNCB has finally chosen Spanish train builder CAF (Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles) as the preferred bidder for the supply of new train carriages. It concerns a contract for up to 600 new train sets by 2034, for an estimated sum of between €1.7 billion […]
July 23, 2025
Charleroi Airport has received a new environmental permit from the Walloon government. The permit for Brussels South Charleroi Airport is valid for 20 years. The cargo-specialized Liège Airport has also received a new environmental permit. The new permit comes with several conditions related to noise pollution and the environment. Adjusted noise rules and quota to […]
July 22, 2025
The Belgian government is proposing a 61 million euro rescue package for Lineas, Europe’s largest private rail freight operator. Without that convertible loan, a loan that can be converted into shares of the company, bankruptcy is looming for the Belgian company. The loan will be made through SFPIM, the Sovereign Wealth Fund of Belgium. That […]
July 22, 2025
As part of the summer agreement, the Belgian government, under the leadership of Bart De Wever (N-VA), has approved the renewal of the boarding tax on flights. This is what the newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws reports. The agreement also confirms that the tax applies retroactively: even those who have already purchased their ticket may be […]
July 22, 2025
Because the Netherlands has awarded domestic train traffic to Dutch Railways NS, the European Commission is going to the European Court of Justice. Such a direct allocation is contrary to the European rule that requires several transport companies to be able to apply for the main domestic train traffic. The court may decide to fine […]
July 18, 2025
The new environmental permit for Brussels Airport has been annulled by the Council for Permit Disputes, an independent Flemish administrative court. The Council thereby agrees with Brussels Airlines. The airline found that the stricter environmental conditions, including an annual ceiling on the number of flight movements and the tightening of night flights, restricted its operations […]
July 17, 2025
The price of train tickets will increase by 6 to 9% in the Netherlands next year. This was announced to the Lower House by resigning State Secretary for Public Transport Thierry Aartsen. Earlier, a 12% increase was still assumed. However, the Dutch Railways NS is now taking measures such as reducing costs by organizing train […]
July 17, 2025
Walloon drivers are generally unfamiliar with the specific rules governing priority at roundabouts, also known as traffic circles. This is what the Walloon Road Safety Agency (AWSR) warns about. In Wallonia, about 140 accidents involving deaths and injuries occur each year at traffic circles. Cyclists and motorcyclists are particularly vulnerable in this situation because they […]
July 16, 2025
The Flemish government has reached an agreement on infrastructure investments related to mobility for the coming years. During the remaining years of the legislature, Flemish Minister of Mobility Annick De Ridder (N-VA) plans to allocate 2.2 billion euros per year for infrastructure to boost mobility. Among the most important projects are the Limburg North-South Connection, […]
July 15, 2025
The aircraft maintenance company Sabena Engineering has inaugurated a new hangar at Brussels Airport. Among other things, it will take care of the Belgian army’s A400M military transport aircraft. The hangar has a surface area of 6,000 m². The first aircraft will be able to be serviced there by the end of the summer. Sabena […]
July 15, 2025
System operator Elia has put the finishing touches to the high-voltage BRABO III grid. The new grid is almost complete with the completion of mast number 58. It should be effectively powered by early 2026, which will support industry in the Port of Antwerp. “This reinforcement is necessary because demand for electricity in the port […]
July 14, 2025
Heathrow Airport wants to invest 10 billion pounds, or 11,6 billion euros, to redesign terminals and improve punctuality using artificial intelligence. The London airport has submitted an investment plan for this purpose to the British Aviation Authority. 10 million passengers extra The project should eventually increase capacity by 12%, up to more than 70,000 m² […]
July 14, 2025
The number of international train travelers at the Belgian public railroad company NMBS/SNCB is increasing year after year. Since 2019, the number of bookings through NMBS/SNCB International has risen by over 50%. The most popular countries are France, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. NMBS/SNCB sells tickets to more […]
July 11, 2025
The Portuguese government has been toying with the idea of privatizing the airline TAP Air Portugal for some time. It has now relaunched that operation. In the process, 49,9% will be sold. Major European airline groups, such as Air France-KLM, IAG (British Airways, Iberia) and Lufthansa are interested. “We believe we can complete the privatization […]
July 11, 2025
With 4,070 abolished trains per month in the first half of the year, the Belgian public railroad company NMBS/SNCB scored a new record, but one of the kinds you prefer not to show off during company presentations or half-yearly overviews. The same period in 2023, the previous record year, involved 4,016 trips per month. In […]
July 10, 2025
Ombuds Brussels, the institution responsible for overseeing good governance in the Brussels Region, has launched several concrete proposals aimed at increasing consideration of vulnerable groups about the low-emission zone (LEZ). For example, Ombuds advocates that it should be possible to buy a day pass through non-digital channels. Additionally, all violators should receive a warning before […]
July 10, 2025
The Belgian public railroad company NMBS/SNCB has put the former station building of Londerzeel up for sale through its real estate platform. The setting price for the building with a land area of 277 m² is 245,000 euros. The municipality of Londerzeel, in Flemish Brabant, is pleased that NMBS/SNCB is finally taking steps to give […]
July 09, 2025
Walloon industrial group John Cockerill has received approval from the Belfort Commercial Court for its acquisition of McPhy. That French company produces electrolyzers to produce green hydrogen, which can be used, among other things, as fuel for various modes of transportation. With the acquisition, John Cockerill Hydrogen aims to create a world champion in hydrogen […]
July 08, 2025
The Flemish public transport company De Lijn will increase the amount of its administrative fines by 18.37%. The acceptable amounts thus follow the fare indexation implemented in April. According to Flemish Minister of Mobility Annick De Ridder (N-VA), it is logical for fines to follow that price trend and should “continue to encourage people to […]
July 08, 2025
In Brussels, the bus, metro, streetcar, and train are regaining importance after a decline during the Covid-19 pandemic. Not only is the number of travelers increasing proportionally, but the number of trips by public transport in the capital is also rising, according to a recent survey by Brussels Mobility. Looking purely at the market share, […]
July 08, 2025
Deutsche Bahn will run a driverless train on the tracks for the first time in Europe in September. This will happen thanks to technology from OTIV. This Ghent-based start-up specializes in AI-driven systems that enable freight trains, buses, and streetcars to operate autonomously in complex environments safely and efficiently. According to the business newspaper De […]
July 07, 2025
Will we soon have self-driving Teslas in Belgium? The American carmaker has already applied to the European Commission in March for approval of autonomous driving (Full Self Driving), and more specifically, supervised hands-off driving. According to the Vers L’Avenir newspaper, Federal Minister of Mobility Jean-Luc Crucke (Les Engagés), unlike his predecessor, is already in favor. […]
July 04, 2025
Belgian public railroad company NMBS/SNCB is to roll out an action plan to “improve the working environment of employees.” It is doing so following a welfare survey conducted early this year by IDEWE, an external service for prevention and protection at work. According to the unions, the survey’s results and conclusions, which measured, among other […]
July 03, 2025
Belgian drivers active in the transport sector and emergency services can now prepare themselves for complex traffic situations in a state-of-the-art driving simulator. As it happens, the Flemish employment service VDAB has invested in four advanced truck simulators, which are housed at the Provincial Institute for Education and Training (PIVO) in Asse. The simulators are […]
July 02, 2025
The French-speaking liberal party MR wants to relaunch mining in Belgium. They advocate rebuilding a full value chain, from mine to recycling. After all, the energy transition is driving up demand for metals, and Europe needs to reduce its dependence on China in particular, according to the party’s study center. “If we have an idea […]
July 01, 2025
Lufthansa’s planned entry into Latvian airline airBaltic has been approved by the German competition authority. The German airline group will now have a 10% stake in airBaltic, which has Riga as its central hub. Otherwise, airBaltic’s main shareholder remains the government of Latvia. The entry involves a sum of € 14 million. Although the deal […]
July 01, 2025
Flemish public transport operator De Lijn is becoming greener without having to do anything about it. As of today, the private bus operators that provide rides on behalf of De Lijn are deploying 588 new electric buses on De Lijn’s network. According to the Federation of Belgian Bus and Coach Operators (FBAA), this is “the […]
June 30, 2025
The pedestrian zone in the center of Brussels, between Place Fontainas and Boulevard Adolphe Max, has been in place for ten years since Sunday. The zone has since become one of the busiest in the capital, but it has also been criticized for being too focused on tourists and events, rather than on residents. Additionally, […]
June 30, 2025
The Board of Directors of the Belgian public railroad company NMBS/SNCB has postponed its decision on designating Spanish CAF as the preferred bidder for a billion-euro order for new railcars. NMBS/SNCB’s decision drew considerable political criticism, and CAF competitors Alstom and Siemens also appealed to the Council of State. In a reaction, NMBS/SNCB refers to […]
June 27, 2025
The increase in the flight tax that the De Wever government wants to introduce will cost Brussels Airlines 1 million euros. So, write the business newspapers L’Echo and De Tijd. Indeed, it turns out that the increase also applies to tickets that were already purchased before the introduction of the new law, usually on July […]
June 26, 2025
Walloon industrial group John Cockerill has completed a 166 million euros capital increase. With that much-needed money, it intends to pursue its strategic development plan around hydrogen, and thus the production of its electrolyzers. Among others, the semi-public investment company SFPIM and gas grid operator Fluxys are stepping into the project. John Cockerill Hydrogen had […]
June 25, 2025
Hype, the Paris-based company that, no pun intended, created hype with the news that it was offering hydrogen cabs in the Île-de-France region, is pulling out of the hydrogen market. “Gray hydrogen and its alibi of blue hydrogen have won this round in Île-de-France,” says an embittered Hype in a LinkedIn post, pointing an accusing […]
June 25, 2025
Although the average CO2 emissions per passenger per km are on average up to 10 times higher for a private jet flight compared to a regular scheduled flight, the demand for private flights in Belgium is five times higher than in the rest of Europe. According to the business newspaper L’Echo, which bases its figures […]
June 24, 2025
Since Monday, June 23rd, the Flemish public transport company De Lijn has officially put its first electric buses, manufactured by the Chinese company BYD, into service. These are the first of 92 e-buses ordered. At Jacob Autocars, which is part of Hansea, one of the largest private bus companies in Belgium that also provides transport […]
June 23, 2025
Empty batteries from Nissan EVs’ Leaf will provide power for some 90,000 residents in the Spanish enclave of Melilla in Morocco. The Japanese automaker is teaming up with European energy company Enel for the groundbreaking project. The project was already announced two years ago, but is now being finally launched. It fits into Nissan’s ‘Ambition […]
June 23, 2025
Brussels Airlines expects nearly 2 million passengers in July and August, the airline reports. That’s 600,000 more than a year earlier. To cope with this influx of passengers, the Lufthansa subsidiary will deploy a fleet of 50 aircraft, or six more than last year. Among other things, Brussels Airlines is adding an extra Airbus 320 […]
June 20, 2025
More than 52,000 new leased bicycles were added in Belgium last year. That’s according to a market analysis by mobility federation Traxio. It makes 2024 an absolute record year. There are currently 166,796 leased bikes on the road in Belgium. Almost two-thirds of bikes are electric. Especially Flanders scores well Almost 10% of all bikes […]
