Dumarey to face MAN in struggle for Van Hool take-over?

March 18, 2024

The clock is ticking for Belgian bus maker Van Hool, which will go bankrupt if no private investor is found before the end of March. Belgian entrepreneur Guido Dumarey confirmed in an interview with Radio 1 that he’s convinced he can ‘rebuild’ Van Hool to a profitable, streamlined production company with 1,800 of the current […]

French train builder Alstom starts its own rail service in UK

March 15, 2024

French rail group Alstom will operate its own train service in the UK from May 2025 between Wales and London. An application has been submitted to the UK rail regulator Office of Rail and Road (ORR) to operate five daily trains in each direction. “We have been part of the UK rail fabric for two […]

Belgian railways spent more than €600 million on consultancy in two years

March 12, 2024

Belgian public railway company NMBS/SNCB and infrastructure manager Infrabel spent 612 million euros on consultancy between 2022 and 2022. Based on internal documents from both companies, research media Apache and Médor have exposed this. Mobility Minister Georges Gilkinet (Ecolo) had previously said the cost for that period was 44,6 million euros, but the actual amount […]

Worst scenario for Van Hool: 1,116 jobs will disappear (update)

March 11, 2024

In stormy weather since the Covid-19 pandemic and the following crisis, Belgian bus and coach builder Van Hool production workers face the ultimate doom scenario. On Monday’s ultimate works council, the unions got the grim message that 1,116 of currently 2,494 jobs at the company’s main factory in Koningshooikt (Lier) will disappear by 2028, 834 […]

Infrabel to remove seven dangerous train level crossings in Bilzen

March 07, 2024

Infrabel has started work in Bilzen to remove all railway crossings in the city’s territory. Seven train crossings will be eliminated and made safer this way. They will be replaced by mobility alternatives, such as bridges (2), tunnels (4), a parallel road, and two sections of bicycle highway. The level crossings will only be closed […]

Dutch ProRail starts mega job on rail network: delays until 2030

March 05, 2024

The Dutch railway network needs a major overhaul. Over the next six years, rail manager ProRail will step up its game to prepare the Dutch rail network for the next forty years. Travelers must take inconvenience into account for the next six years. Between now and 2030, train passengers and freight rail must, therefore, take […]

‘Three-country train’ Liège-Maastricht-Aachen starts in June

March 05, 2024

The long-announced ‘three-country train’ Liège-Maastricht-Aachen will start running in the border region between Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany from June 9th. The Maastricht-Aachen section has been active since 2019. However, Belgium could not yet be served due to making the trains of carrier Arriva suitable for the different security systems used in the three countries. […]

New French HST operator to launch low-cost ‘ilisto’ brand

March 04, 2024

Start-up Kevin Speed will run high-speed trains (HST) in France from 2028 under the brand ‘ilisto’. The new HST operator signed an agreement with SNCF Réseau, the French rail network operator, to get the necessary train paths for the planned train runs. Specifically, Kevin Speed wants tracks from Paris to the North (Lille), east (Strasbourg), […]

Dutch Railways in red plans to raise ticket prices by 10%

February 28, 2024

Like in 2022, Dutch Railways NS made a 191-million-euro loss last year due to increased costs for wages and equipment, but also because the number of expected passengers fell short. NS, therefore, wants to make train tickets considerably more expensive next year, possibly by more than 10%. With that 191-million-euro loss, NS may be doing […]

Dutch Railways orders new trains for €150 million

February 27, 2024

Dutch Railways NS will order ten more Intercity trains, New Generation, on top of the 99 already ordered earlier. The order involves an investment of over 150 million euros. Public transport in the Netherlands is still less popular than it was before the Covid-19 health crisis, yet increasing crowding is noticeable – 15.5% more people […]

Autodelen.net: ‘One-third more shared cars in one year in Flanders’

February 19, 2024

The number of shared cars has increased significantly in the past year. By the end of 2023, Flanders had 4,159 shared cars, or 31.5% more than the year before. Among them are all types of shared cars: free-floating, roundtrip, and individually shared cars. According to the car-sharing website Autodelen.net’s annual report, you can find shared […]

Belgian NMBS/SNCB shows first autonomously accessible carriage

February 16, 2024

NMBS/SNCB has presented the first of 130 autonomously accessible M7 double-decker carriages at train builder Alstom in Bruges. The Belgian railway company wants passengers with reduced mobility, including wheelchair users, to be able to travel independently by train from the purchase of their ticket to their destination. “Besides safe and comfortable transport, accessibility is also […]

Uber launches its taxi services in Liege, Namur, and Mons

February 16, 2024

Since this Wednesday, February 14th, the Uber application has been available in three large Walloon cities: Liège, Namur, and Mons. Ten years after its establishment in Flanders and Brussels, the American company of independent drivers is expanding its services in the south of the country. However, the service only allows you to book ‘traditional’ taxis. […]

‘Of 252 million cars on EU roads in 2022, only 1,2% was fully electric’

February 15, 2024

According to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) latest ‘Vehicles on European Roads’ report, there were 252 million cars on European roads in 2022, a 1% increase from the previous year. But despite battery-electric sales reaching ‘all-time highs’ in 2022, only 1.2% of cars on EU roads are battery-electric. Only six countries had a share […]

Seniors complain Belgian train tickets becoming far too expensive

February 12, 2024

The Belgian railway company NMBS/SNCB is developing a new fare range. Consequently, some current tickets with a fixed price – for seniors or youngsters – will no longer be available. Senior organizations fear that train travel will become too expensive for seniors in the future. Today, people over 65 pay a fixed price: 8.30 euros […]

Liège tramway to be extended to Seraing

February 12, 2024

The Walloon government has decided to extend Liège’s tramway network to Seraing (Jemeppe) despite its high price tag. The extension, excluding the actual streetcars running on it, was originally planned to cost 105 million euros. The works would now cost 355 million euros. Three new bids, still to be negotiated, have been submitted for the […]

Dutch to run 1,600 more trains per week and double to Brussels

February 09, 2024

Starting December 15th, Dutch Railways NS plans to run 1,600 more weekly trains than the current timetable. The aim is to better and more often connect various regions of the Netherlands, both during the day and at earlier and later times. It is the most significant change for NS in years. The number of intercity […]

Q-lite to install 500 new-gen digital bus stop displays for De Lijn

February 09, 2024

The Belgian producer of digital display solutions, Q-lite, will install up to 500 digital bus stop displays for De Lijn throughout Flanders. That is what both companies announced on Thursday. These new digital information screens will replace the old stop devices that have reached the end of their lifespan. Q-lite will produce and install the […]

Aggression cases almost tripled a Walloon TEC

February 05, 2024

Last year, staff at the Walloon public transport company TEC faced almost three times more aggression cases than in 2015. Staff in the Liège-Verviers region spontaneously stopped work last week after several cases of aggression—the strike continuous today. Between 2015 and 2023, the number of cases of aggression on Walloon public transport rose from 56 […]

Bruxell’Air premium to be extended and increased

February 02, 2024

The Brussels government is going to increase the Bruxell’Air premium. The increase should encourage Brussels residents to eliminate their number plates and switch to more sustainable transport. In Ghent, you can also get a premium if your number plate is scrapped. Last year, the city received over 200 applications for a 500-euro compensation. On the […]

Belgian train tickets almost 15% more expensive in one year

February 01, 2024

From 1 February, Belgian public railway company NMBS/SNCB is raising most fares by 5,9%. These include the prices of standard tickets, season tickets, and multi-journey tickets. Last year, fares had also risen sharply, then by some 9% on average. According to NMBS/SNCB, in line with the public service contract with the government, the higher prices […]

Belgian rail sees 7% more passengers in 2023

January 31, 2024

Last year, Belgian public railway company NMBS/SNCB carried 244 million train passengers, 7% more than in 2022. After the Covid-19 years, this is the second consecutive year of growth. Mobility Minister Georges Gilkinet (Ecolo) says the figures confirm “that we are on the right track, even if there is still work to be done, especially […]

No tax increase on ICE company cars in Belgium

January 30, 2024

Belgium will not have a sharp increase in taxes on fossil company cars. After much wrangling, the federal government has agreed on the benefit in kind for diesel and gasoline company cars. The government reached a deal by linking other dossiers to that of company cars. Thus, the annual ceiling of the bicycle allowance will […]

De Lijn coming back with self-driving buses by 2026

January 29, 2024

Flemish public transport operator De Lijn is pulling plans for self-driving buses in cities off the ice again. A pilot project will be developed in Leuven to have an operational connection by 2026. There is talk of 15 to 20 vehicles in an initial phase, possibly expanding to 80. So, this is not the first […]

Eurostar transported 25% more travelers in 2023

January 25, 2024

In 2023, Eurostar’s high-speed trains carried a quarter more passengers. The number of travelers increased in one year from 14,8 million in 2022 to 18,6 million or almost as many as before the coronavirus pandemic  – 19 million in 2019. One of the explanations for the success was the high demand for tickets to London, […]

Longest strike ever on German railways

January 24, 2024

Engineers of the state-owned railway company Deutsche Bahn started a six-day strike last night, the longest strike ever on German railways. The strike comes because of a long-running dispute over working conditions and pay between DB and union GDL. Train traffic in Germany is expected to come to a virtual standstill. It is now the […]

NMBS/SNCB curtails opening hours of station ticket offices

January 18, 2024

From March 1st, opening hours will change in almost all Belgian railway stations where there are still ticket offices. No ticket office will remain completely closed, but opening hours will be reduced in all but four of the 91 stations where there are still ticket offices. The Belgian public railway company wants to use its […]

Dutch crisis manager to put Van Hool back on track

January 18, 2024

With the immediate appointment of Mark Zwaaneveld (62) as co-CEO, Belgian bus and touring car builder Van Hool is getting a shrewd crisis manager in-house to put the company back on track after four years of doom. Zwaaneveld will focus on a restructuring plan, while Filip Van Hool (59), the founding family’s third generation, runs […]

One in seven Belgian trains delayed or abolished in 2023

January 15, 2024

The punctuality of Belgian public railway company NMBS/SNCB’s trains fell to the lowest level in five years last year. More than 46 000 trains were also canceled, a record. “This is not what passengers are entitled to,” the rail operator and NMBS/SNCB responded. Specifically, 87,5% of trains arrived at their final destination or in Brussels […]

Dutch Qbuzz chooses Van Hool for another 112 e-city buses

January 15, 2024

After signing last year a contract with Qbuzz, a public transport operator in the Netherlands, to deliver 54 battery-electric buses of its latest type A battery-electric city bus, Belgian bus builder Van Hool may deliver another 112 before the end of this year. That’s a gift from the gods, as up to 65% of the […]

Brussels Heysel gets new P+R car park

January 09, 2024

The Brussels government has inaugurated a new P+R car park on the Heysel plateau, suitable for around 100 parking spaces. The car park and the ninth Park and Ride in the Brussels Region should make commuting to Brussels smoother. “With P+R Heysel, we now provide parking infrastructure at all major approach roads, with smooth connections […]

Storm over De Lijn’s new transport scheme doesn’t die down

January 08, 2024

The storm over Flemish public transport company De Lijn’s new transport scheme has not died. In an interview with the newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws, top woman Ann Schoubs says that De Lijn wants to raise ticket prices if the Flemish government does not release an extra 100 million euros annually. However, in principle, the Flemish […]

De Lijn under heavy fire for preferring 500 Chinese BYD buses

January 05, 2024

Flemish public transport operator De Lijn orders 92 standard electric buses from Chinese bus maker BYD. The order, representing an investment of over 43 million euros, follows the award by De Lijn’s board of directors of a new framework agreement of up to 500 standard e-buses to BYD Europe. The order earned De Lijn a […]

With its basic network under fire, De Lijn asks for 370 million extra

January 04, 2024

From Saturday, Flemish public transport company De Lijn’s new basic accessibility network will be operational. But even before the new timetable – “the biggest transition ever” at De Lijn – goes into effect, criticism is louder and louder. More stops would be scrapped than planned, and the new Hoppin bus network would create greater transport […]

Belgian rail wants to outsource management of car parks

December 27, 2023

Belgian public railway company NMBS/SNCB wants to outsource the management of its 60 payable car parks to a commercial company. So writes the business newspaper L’Echo. Sophie Dutordoir, CEO of NMBS/SNCB, is reported to have said so in the federal parliament a few weeks ago when she came to the Parliamentary Committee on Mobility for […]

Twelve percent more buses, trams, and metros in Brussels

December 26, 2023

The Brussels government and the board of directors of the Brussels public transport company MIVB/STIB have signed the new 2024-2028 management agreement. The agreement provides for an 11,9% increase in supply so that MIVB/STIB can count 457 million passengers by 2028, or over a third more than 2022. Indexation of fares is provided, but for […]

Montpellier EU’s biggest city to make public transport free of charge

December 21, 2023

Since Thursday, public transport in the southern French city of Montpellier has been free of charge. In France, there are already around 40 cities where buses and trams are free for residents. Still, with more than 500 000 inhabitants, Montpellier is the largest European metropolis offering such a free service. “This is a measure that […]

Rail boss warns for Brussels track congestion after EU-liberalization

December 20, 2023

The liberalization of the European railroad market is continuing, which will also be at the expense of the services of NMBS/SNCB. So says Belgians railroad company’s CEO, Sophie Dutordoir, who warns of congestion on the track if additional international operators track trains through Brussels. “If two operators are added, ten public service trains will disappear […]

PS slams brakes on raising Brussels public transport fares

December 19, 2023

The 2024-2028 management agreement between the Brussels public transport company MIVB/STIB and the Brussels Region will not happen now. The French-speaking PS socialists are reversing their course and opposing the indexation of preferential fares. However, the Brussels government, of which the PS is also part, approved it last week. A new attempt will be made […]

Competition for Eurostar through Channel Tunnel is coming

December 18, 2023

Getlink, the operator of the Channel Tunnel, wants to attract new rail operators. It has set aside a budget of 50 million euros for this purpose. With direct high-speed trains between London, Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam, Eurostar is currently the only operator for passenger transport through the Channel Tunnel. But that monopoly Eurostar has had […]

First Nightjet train from Berlin arrives in Brussels

December 12, 2023

After a break of almost a decade, the long-awaited night train connection between Brussels and Berlin is finally operational again. The first trip of the Nightjet train departed on Monday evening in Berlin and was waved goodbye by German Transport Minister Volker Wissing and the boss of Deutsche Bahn Richard Lutz. The journey took 13 […]

Despite Belgian rail’s dramatic punctuality tickets get more expensive

December 11, 2023

In November, almost 20% of Belgian trains were not punctual. This is one of the worst results in the past seven years, according to figures from railway infrastructure manager Infrabel. Nevertheless, from February, all NMBS/SNCB products will be 5,9% more expensive, including the prices of tickets and subscriptions. One in five trains (19,2%) of the […]

De Lijn convicted of discriminating against wheelchair users

December 06, 2023

The Mechelen court finds Flemish public transport company De Lijn guilty of structural discrimination against people with disabilities. Four wheelchair users had gone to court after their complaints to De Lijn itself were unsuccessful. They will now each receive compensation of 650 euros. De Lijn is studying the verdict and is considering possible next steps. […]

MIVB/STIB gets a little greener with purchase of 36 e-busses

November 30, 2023

Brussels public transport operator MIVB/STIB has ordered 36 electric buses from German manufacturer Daimler Buses. The order is part of a framework agreement for up to 80 standard low-floor buses. The first eCitaro-bus from that order should enter the fleet in early 2026. A new order for 14 additional articulated e-buses is also planned soon. […]

First metro rides on Grand Paris Express

November 29, 2023

The first metro of the Grand Paris Express, a massive 15-year project that is set to revolutionize transport in the region around the French capital, rolled out in Paris on Tuesday. The new rapid transit lines should connect the periphery, or the Île-de-France region, to the capital and are expected to serve 2 million passengers […]

De Lijn invests in 1.600 charging points for buses

November 28, 2023

De Lijn will order up to 1 600 charging points to charge electric buses in its depots. The Flemish public transport company is placing the order with two suppliers: TM SPIE-Ekoenergetyka and ABB. De Lijn will purchase some 320 to 490 charging points in the first phase, representing an investment of 15,3 million euros. The […]

Never before so much complaints about abolished or late Belgian trains

November 27, 2023

Never have travelers in Belgium filed so many complaints about canceled or late trains. That was reported by the newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws. Ombudsrail, the ombudsperson service for train passengers, already received a third more complaints from dissatisfied passengers in 2023 than last year, a record number. There are many more complaints. After all, travelers […]

Brussels looking for aboveground alternative to Metro 3 line

November 22, 2023

Now that works on the Brussels Metro 3 have been delayed due to budget problems and the new line may not come into full service until 2038 or later, Brussels Mobility Minister Elke Van den Brandt (Groen) is to investigate possible alternatives to increase the public transport offer on that planned line. So reports La […]

First section of Walloon RER finally operational after three years

November 21, 2023

A first section of the Regional Express Network (RER) between Ottignies and the junction towards Louvain-la-Neuve in Wallonia has been put into service. The RER, or GAN in Dutch, is a suburban network in and around Brussels. The 2,5 km stretch consists of two central tracks for fast trains and two sidings for local trains. […]

Brupass tickets now digitally available in Brussels

November 17, 2023

Brupass and Brupass XL tickets are now also available digitally in the MIVB/STIB, NMBS/SNCB, and TEC apps, and from the beginning of 2024, also at De Lijn. They’re the first digital tickets that allow travelers to travel on the four public transport networks in Brussels and its outskirts. For MIVB/STIB, this is an additional novelty […]

Cash-flow crisis forces Alstom to scrap 1.500 jobs

November 16, 2023

Financially troubled French Alstom, manufacturer of trains, metros, and rail systems, has to cut some 1 500 jobs or almost 10% of all commercial and administrative positions. At the same time, it will sell business units, although it is unclear which ones will be involved. This should raise between 500 million and one billion euros. […]

Info screens in Belgian train stations get a new look

November 15, 2023

The digital information screens in the Belgian public railway company NMBS/SNCB stations are getting a new look. The new design allows more information during disrupted train traffic and increases readability. The new design can already be seen in Brussels station, and stations in the rest of the country will follow by the end of this […]

De Lijn cancels 3.000 bus stops in new 2024 network

November 15, 2023

From 6 January, Flemish public transport operator De Lijn will start a new, significant step in the rollout of its primary accessibility network. Buses will be concentrated on lines with higher demand and thus drive less through neighborhoods. In the process, De Lijn will cut over 3 000 stops or about 17% of the total […]

Belgian rail engages public for beta-test new app features

November 14, 2023

Travelers can now test and help improve new features of the Belgian public rail operator NMBS/SNCB’s app before the features are integrated into the official app. They can test those new functions via the app ‘NMBS Lab’. That application is like the official NMBS/SNCB app but without the ability to buy tickets. Users can already […]

De Lijn orders another 44 articulated e-buses from Iveco

November 08, 2023

Flemish public transport company De Lijn will order 44 articulated electric buses from Italian bus manufacturer Iveco. The delivery of the 18-meter-log buses is expected in the first quarter of 2025, representing a 33,47-million-euro investment. The buses will be equipped with all modern amenities, such as USB chargers, extra-wide screens with stop indications, electric ramps, […]

Negative advice on more expensive tickets at NMBS/SNCB

October 30, 2023

The board of directors of Belgian railway company NMBS/SNCB will soon consider a possible 5 to 6% fare increase early next year. The Rail Passenger Advisory Committee is already recommending that the indexation be postponed, mainly because of deteriorating services. Until now, NMBS/SNCB has traditionally raised fares every year at the beginning of February. Last […]

Minister lashes out at De Lijn’s CEO: ‘stop nagging!’

October 26, 2023

Things are at odds between Flemish Mobility Minister Lydia Peeters (Open Vld) and Ann Schoubs, director general of public transport company De Lijn. Schoubs had made some critical statements in the media about the company’s inadequate financing. She called the outdated buses ‘cadavers’ and the underfunding ‘a rotting strategy’. In response, Peeters lashed out strongly […]

Belgian free commuter newspaper Metro pulls the plug

October 24, 2023

The Belgian edition of the free newspaper Metro, distributed mainly through public transport, will cease publication because it is no longer viable. Rossel Group, the owner of Metro, has announced this. As the last printed free newspaper in the country, Metro is also entirely dependent on advertising revenue. And those remain structurally too low to […]

Brussels MIVB/STIB fares to increase by 6,9% in 2024

October 24, 2023

Brussels transport company MIVB/STIB’s fares are likely to be indexed from September 2024 and consequently increase by 6,9%, except for preferential fares. So reports the business newspaper L’Echo. For the past ten years, all MIVB/STIB fares have been frozen, and no indexations have been implemented, precisely to make Brussels public transport more accessible. At the […]

Flanders to invest €2,2 billion in mobility and public works in 2024

October 20, 2023

Flemish Minister of Mobility and Public Works Lydia Peeters has completed her draft investment program for 2024. Almost 700 projects will be supported, accounting for an investment of 2,2 billion euros. Most investments fall within cycling, road safety, and sustainability. According to Peeters (Open VLD), never has so much been invested in cycling infrastructure in […]