December 20, 2024
The Belgian and French railroads have inaugurated the first run of a new conventional train connection between Brussels and Paris. The journey will take three hours with the new connection, operated by OUIGO, SNCF’s low-cost brand, compared to 1h22 with Eurostar. A ticket is available for 10 euros one way. With this new connection, NMBS/SNCB […]
December 20, 2024
Air Belgium will continue cargo operations under the name Air One Belgium. So reports CEO Niky Terzakis. The 64-year-old aviation entrepreneur will remain at the helm of his brainchild. However, following financial troubles, the company has now been acquired by a Dutch PESA Aviation Management consortium and British Air One Holding International. “The bidder has […]
December 20, 2024
The European Commission announced on Thursday that the European Union will launch a strategic dialogue on the future of its automotive industry in January. The initiative aims to develop rapid support measures for the auto sector as it grapples with the accelerated shift toward electric cars and the regulatory standards on average fleet emissions. The […]
December 19, 2024
Brussels Airport expects to handle a record number of passengers this Christmas vacation. According to the airport in Zaventem, that number would fly above the million for the first time. The start of the vacation, Friday, December 20th, will be the busiest day with 72,000 passengers, according to the airport. This will involve some 40,000 […]
December 18, 2024
More than one in four Brussels motorists (27%) could do without a car. This is the finding of a survey conducted by Brussels Mobility. Through the sample of 1,900 Brussels residents with a car, Brussels Mobility aims to better understand car use and which alternatives to the car could be made more attractive. On average, […]
December 17, 2024
Electric vehicles are widely regarded as a cost-effective alternative to gasoline-powered cars, but that trend has officially reversed in the Netherlands. According to the latest Elektrisch Rijden Monitor by the Dutch motorists’ association ANWB, it’s now more expensive to drive an EV than a combustion-engined car. The report highlights growing concerns over rising operating costs, […]
December 17, 2024
Tomorrow, the first train will enter Mons’ renovated station with its new ‘Gare-Passerelle,’ or walkway station. The new footbridge, an 182-meter-long metal structure weighing 5,200 tons, is the eye-catcher of the building designed by the famous Spanish architect Calatrava. The official inauguration, in turn, is scheduled for January 31, 2025. The imposing project was delayed […]
December 16, 2024
As expected, the Nivelles business court has approved the take-over of financially troubled airline Air Belgium by a consortium of Dutch PESO Aviation Management and British Air Ones Holding International. It was the only final offer submitted on time. Air Belgium’s lawyers and the delegated judge had advised the court last week to accept the […]
December 16, 2024
Never in automobile history, and 125 years after the electric car had to surrender to the internal combustion engine car (ICE), has the yawning gap between believers and non-believers in electrification been so wide. Still, only 1% of today’s EV drivers want to return to a pure ICE car, and 4% would switch back to […]
December 13, 2024
The introduction of an annual road tax for new electric cars in Flanders, initially set to take effect on January 1st, 2025, has been postponed. This was confirmed by the cabinet of Flemish Finance Minister Ben Weyts (N-VA) to Het Laatste Nieuws. The delay is attributed to the ongoing development of a taxation formula and […]
December 13, 2024
The closure of five Brussels car tunnels by 2030, including two on Avenue Louise and two on the central ring road, would save 100 million euros in the long run and have no major impact on mobility. This is according to a cost-benefit analysis of Brussels tunnels commissioned by Brussels Mobility and reported by the […]
December 12, 2024
According to a new study by Nature Communications, tourism turnover almost doubled between 2009 and 2019, representing an annual growth of 5.5 percent. However, this strong growth is accompanied by a carbon footprint of 5.2 gigatons of CO2 equivalent or 8.8 percent of global emissions. The primary drivers of emissions growth are slow technology efficiency […]
December 11, 2024
IATA, the global airline umbrella organization, expects airlines worldwide to carry 5.2 billion passengers next year, the first time this will exceed the 5 billion mark. More passengers also mean more flights, leading to higher CO2 emissions from the aviation sector. For example, using more sustainable fuels, such as biomass or used oils, could help […]
December 10, 2024
Flemish public transport company De Lijn is now deploying two advanced simulators during basic training for tram drivers. “This way, our people learn in a safe environment how to deal with numerous obstacles they may encounter on the road,” says the transport company, which trains some 200 streetcar drivers annually. The simulator looks just like […]
December 09, 2024
Italian rail operator Trenitalia, Swiss operator SBB, and Czech carrier RegioJet top a new ranking of European railway companies. The study was conducted by the NGO Transport & Environment (T&E), which advocates for more environmentally friendly transport. The Belgian railway company NMBS/SNCB ranks in the middle. France’s Ouigo, Greece’s Hellenic Trains, and Eurostar close the […]
December 09, 2024
The Brussels Parliament has adopted an ordinance proposal to postpone the taxi sector’s obligation to purchase zero-emission vehicles by two years until January 2027. Green parties denounced the fact that since June, there has been no majority in the Brussels Parliament except for specific files, such as for the two-year postponement of the tightening of […]
December 06, 2024
The company that wants to take over the financially troubled airline Air Belgium is known. It is a consortium of two companies: Dutch company PESO Aviation Management and British company Air One Holding International. That consortium also wants to keep only 197 of Air Belgium’s 401 current employees. This was announced before the Nivelles enterprise […]
December 06, 2024
There are no longer any fully electric winners in VAB’s ‘Family Car of the Year’ election this year. The gold medal goes to a hybrid (HEV) from the Chinese brand that sells the most EVs in Europe: the MG3. The other gold winner in the more expensive category is a mild-hybrid Hyundai i30. It perfectly […]
December 06, 2024
The Roads and Traffic Agency (Agentschap Wegen en Verkeer, AWV) recently published the latest list of unsafe traffic locations where accidents can be linked to the infrastructure – not to individual drivers’ behavior. The list for 2024 mentions 264 locations, which is less than in 2021 (301) and 2022 (300) but slightly more than in […]
December 06, 2024
Almost half of Belgians, 47%, never take the train, according to the survey ‘Accessibility of transport in Belgium 2024’ by the Federal Public Service Mobility. The same goes for the bus: 44% of Belgians never take the bus. Although more than eight in 10 respondents regularly use the car every week (82%), only one in […]
December 05, 2024
Dutch fast-charging chain Fastned is partnering with Transport for London (TfL), the local government body responsible for most of the London transport network, to establish 25 fast-charging plazas in and around the British capital by 2030. Fastned is setting up a joint venture with Places for London, TfL’s real estate daughter, to invest £16 million […]
December 05, 2024
According to Filip Rylant, spokesman of the mobility federation Traxio, November confirms the trend of recent months on the bicycle market. Sales of new speed pedelecs dropped by as much as -15.1% (864 units) while second-hand sales continued to grow, with an increase of +7.6% (524 units). Consumers are increasingly opting for the second-hand market. […]
December 05, 2024
To reduce the number of drunk train passengers getting into accidents during the festive season, UK train operator Avanti West Coast will serve a new low-alcohol beer on trains running in the West Coast Mainline between London Euston and Scotland. According to the rail company, the ‘Safety Thirst Beer’, which contains 0.5% alcohol by volume […]
December 04, 2024
California-based start-up Aptera Motors is once again turning to crowdfunding in its mission to bring its solar-powered, three-wheeled electric vehicle to the assembly halls. This renewed effort aims to secure the additional $60 million necessary to transition its prototype to a production-ready car. The new crowdfunding campaign follows Aptera’s previous one, which concluded in May […]
December 04, 2024
The new UK government is putting its money where its mouth is: the private rail company Southern Western Railways will become a public transport company again. After all, before the election, Labour had indicated that if the party would be again in government, it would nationalize the entire UK train network within five years. “Our […]
December 03, 2024
According to a new ranking by Transport & Environment (T&E), only 10 out of 77 airlines are making noteworthy efforts to switch to sustainable alternatives to fossil kerosene. The remaining 67 are either buying too few sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs), the wrong kind of SAFs, or are not considering SAFs at all in their decarbonization […]
December 03, 2024
On New Year’s Eve, Flemish public transport company De Lijn is offering a 2,5 euros ticket that is valid all night. With the so-called party buses and trams, De Lijn aims to take travelers to their destinations in complete safety all night long. Some lines follow their familiar route, while others have been specially adapted. […]
December 03, 2024
From March, Brussels Airlines will start flying direct to Kinshasa daily. Currently, there are five direct flights a week and two flights a week with a stopover in Luanda (Angola). By broadening its offer to the Congolese capital, Brussels Airlines confirms its reputation as the Lufthansa Group’s Africa specialist. Non-stop “The history of aviation in […]
December 02, 2024
Antwerp will launch the option to charge your electric car on location in the summer of 2025. The City of Antwerp granted the Belgian start-up Uze Energy permission to operate mobile charging installations—a large battery in a pink cargo bike. This means that from the summer of 2025, electric car drivers will be able to […]
December 02, 2024
Stockholm’s ambition to establish the world’s first urban zero-emission vehicle zone in its upscale shopping district has hit a roadblock. Originally slated to take effect by the end of the year, the initiative is now on hold as Sweden’s County Administrative Board examines appeals filed by five companies opposing the measure. In a surprise move, […]
November 29, 2024
Belgium has a bad reputation regarding the quality of its road network, but now the country seems to have reached a new low. According to a recent study by the World Economic Forum, Belgium ranks 61st for road quality out of 119 countries surveyed. That is even lower than countries such as Uzbekistan and Rwanda. […]
November 29, 2024
What was first feared is now confirmed: the only take-over bid for Air Belgium only concerns the cargo operations. In other words, passenger operations will disappear. The ailing airline will know on December 5th whether the sale proposal receives court approval. But it looks like an end to Air Belgium anyway. Candidate is a European […]
November 29, 2024
Finally, instead of complaining about low EV acceptance and the general public’s reluctance to give up combustion engines, a major carmaker, Volkswagen, is ready to address the ‘common customers concerns’ about the affordability and usability of an electric car. And that includes salespeople, too, who are often reluctant to sell EVs instead of the ICE […]
November 27, 2024
Belgians suffer from so-called ‘car obesity’: they want bigger and bigger cars. Recent Transport & Environment (T&E) research has shown that vehicles grow one centimeter wider every two years. Something that Belgian drivers adore. According to global research from T&E, the average width of new cars has increased from 177.8 cm to 180.3 cm since […]
November 27, 2024
Starting next summer, Funchal, on the Portuguese island of Madeira, will be added to the network of destinations to which Brussels Airlines flies. At the same time, the airline will also deploy more aircraft in the 2025 summer season, allowing it to increase capacity by 18%, which means higher frequencies to many destinations. This higher […]
November 26, 2024
Those who thought to see the light and the end of the tunnel in connection with the works on the Leonard crossing can abandon all hope for a short pain. The complete “facelift” of the Brussels ring tunnel (R0) has finally been postponed until next spring. In January, the Works Association (De Werkvennootschap) will start […]
November 26, 2024
From December 1st, the American ride-hailing service Uber will also start offering its services throughout Wallonia, just as it already does in Flanders and Brussels. New regulations in Wallonia will make expansion possible. In February, Uber had already launched its UberTaxi service, a classic stand-up cab service in several cities in Wallonia. The price is […]
November 25, 2024
In no other European country is rail travel more popular than in Switzerland. Last year, the Swiss traveled an average of 2,466 km by rail and took the train a whopping 68 times. Worldwide, only the Japanese travel more by train. That Switzerland remains the European champion of train travel it owes to a dense […]
November 22, 2024
German parcel company DHL Express and energy company Shell have signed a one-year agreement for the use of 25,000 tons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at Brussels Airport. This will allow it to replace a third of the traditional kerosene in the planes departing from Brussels Airport with the more environmentally friendly fuel derived from, […]
November 22, 2024
Flanders has the potential to realize 1,096 ‘smart charging hubs’ or ‘charging plazas’ by 2030–around 6,600 individual charging points. These central locations offer multiple charging stations via one grid connection. This was evident from a study launched on Thursday by grid operator Fluvius, environmental organization Bond Beter Leefmilieu (BBL), and consultancy firm The New Drive. […]
November 21, 2024
Bicycle shops and manufacturers cannot get rid of the enormous stock they have built up after Corona. Research by mobility federation Traxio shows that six in ten bicycle shops currently offer discounts of 20 percent and more. For the first time in five years, the Belgian bicycle retail market sees a decline in turnover this […]
November 21, 2024
These are tense times for Air Belgium. An investor has submitted a bid for the ailing Walloon airline. Judicial reorganization proceedings ended in late September, and potential investors had until November 15th to go forward. The court in Nivelles will consider the bid on December 5th. Who the investor is and the plans regarding activities […]
November 20, 2024
Following orders for e-buses from VDL Bus & Coach, Van Hool, and Chinese BYD, the Flemish public transport company De Lijn has again ordered similar buses from Italian Iveco. The order involves 32 18-meter articulated e-buses. Earlier, De Lijn ordered 109 similar buses from Iveco. The first vehicles from that order will be delivered this […]
November 20, 2024
The Brussels ombudsman office wants MIVB/STIB to curb noise pollution caused by defective wheels on M7 subway trains. The appeal comes after an investigation following a complaint from a resident of Woluwe-Saint-Lambert/Sint-Lambrechts-Woluwe about noise pollution from the metro. According to Ombuds Brussels, the MIVB/STIB, the future Brussels government, and the public institution Brussels Environment must […]
November 18, 2024
Exactly one year after its launch, 350,000 digital Brupass, and Brupass XL tickets have already been sold to nearly 125,000 customers for public transport in the 19 Brussels municipalities and the Flemish periphery. These digital tickets allow travelers to use the public transport network of the Brussels transport company MIVB/STIB, the railroad company MIVB/SNCB, and […]
November 18, 2024
The Flemish public transport company De Lijn is adjusting its offer as of January 6th. Due to driver and equipment shortages, the offer will be reduced in several regions to guarantee a more reliable service. At the same time, changes are also planned in Leuven, Mechelen, the Flemish periphery around Brussels, Kempen, and Antwerp. About […]
November 18, 2024
According to the traffic safety institute Vias, traffic accidents in Belgium cost eleven billion euros annually. The institute calculated that every road death costs seven million euros and every seriously injured person costs 700,000 euros. Vias’ study was based on the number of accidents in 2022. VIAS added up the cost of suffering caused by […]
November 15, 2024
Cars in Brussels’ streets are becoming heavier and larger, making traffic more unsafe and contradicting the city’s quality-of-life goals. This is shown by a new study conducted by Brussels Environment and Brussels Mobility, newspapers De Standaard and L’Echo write. SUVs, Sports Utility Vehicles, accounted for more than half of all new registrations in 2023. The […]
November 13, 2024
Lufthansa and the Italian government have agreed to take over ITA Airways, formerly Alitalia, after tough negotiations, the Italian Finance Ministry announced. The documents were delivered to the European Commission before the deadline. The EC had previously imposed conditions on the deal to safeguard competition, such as giving up some flight rights or slots. €325 […]
November 13, 2024
Eurostar celebrates its 30th anniversary on Thursday. On November 14, 1994, Eurostar’s high-speed trains carried passengers through the Channel Tunnel between the United Kingdom and mainland Europe for the first time. Eurostar has become a significant player in the European rail landscape in three decades, carrying more than 380 million passengers. To 30 million passengers […]
November 13, 2024
The Court of Appeal in The Hague has rejected the 2021 ruling in the case brought by the Netherlands arm of Friends of the Earth (Milieudefensie) and other campaigners against Shell. According to the court, Shell cannot be forced to specify specific percentages by which it must reduce CO2 emissions. Therefore, the court’s ruling at […]
November 12, 2024
E-bike manufacturer Ouxi will launch a mini fat bike with a lower frame and smaller wheels next month. The Cooryda C80 Pro Mini seems to be an exact copy of the regular fat bike but in pocket size. It has the same robust appearance, but the manufacturer focuses on 10- to 14-year-olds. The children’s version […]
November 12, 2024
According to Flemish public broadcaster VRT, more than 40% of traffic accidents that happen during weekend nights are linked to alcohol or drugs. Pano’s research also shows that it is precisely at these high-risk moments that far too few checks are carried out in Flanders. However, the most recent VIAS statistical report on Traffic Accidents […]
November 11, 2024
The private jet sector is emitting more and more greenhouse gases. Between 2019 and 2023, greenhouse gas emissions from private aviation nearly doubled. That’s according to a study published in Communications Earth & Environment. Last year alone, private aviation accounted for 15,6 million tons of CO2 emissions. In 2019, it was 10,7 million tons, or […]
November 08, 2024
At their annual press conference, the Belgian Association of Vehicle Rental Companies Renta urgently appealed for help. Renta Chairman and Ayvens CEO Johan Portier made it clear that the second-hand market needs structural support, now. “The Belgian market is now like an island in Europe. With its heavy emphasis on company cars (B2B market) and […]
November 07, 2024
Mobility platform Bolt has launched a ‘premium’ ride-hailing fleet in the Brussels Capital Region, totaling some 30 bright green Tesla cars. With this initiative, part of a large-scale European initiative, Bolt hopes to support fleet owners in shifting to EVs. “We are excited to introduce more electric vehicles on our platform in Brussels,” says Paddy […]
November 06, 2024
Brussels Airlines has chosen the Atomium as the new design for painting one of its aircraft. The Atomium design was chosen from the five most popular designs out of more than 900 entries. The winner of the design competition is Thomas Faes, a Belgian architect. “The Atomium has been luring visitors to Belgium for years, […]
November 06, 2024
In October 2024, 67,201 second-hand cars were registered, an increase of +9.9% compared to last year and +26.3% more than in October 2022. The figures for the first ten months of 2024 show continued growth in second-hand car registrations: +6.5% between 2023 and 2024 and +14.9% between 2022 and 2024. According to Mobility Federation Traxio, […]
November 05, 2024
Fret SNCF, the cargo arm of the French national railroad company SNCF, will cease operations in 2025. The freight division will be replaced by two new companies: Hexafret for freight transport and Technis for locomotive maintenance. The transformation also involves a 10% reduction in jobs. The changes are the result of proceedings initiated against the […]
November 05, 2024
Despite continuous negative press about EV sales declining in countries like Germany and France, the Netherlands still sees growth in newly registered and second-hand electric cars. According to the automotive sector organization Bovag, the used EV market is picking up with a 36.9% growth, as more are available from the leasing sector. The number of […]
