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foto: Wikimedia Commons, unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0 nl/NMBS / SNCB Steam locomotive / Thalys
From the first train between Antwerp and Brussels in 1835 to today's Thalys and EuroStar high-speed trains. Discover how Belgium built its railway to the pinnacle of European transport. Explore the exciting history and future of Belgian railways with us.
The King's Project
The history of the Belgian railway begins almost simultaneously with the history of the Belgian state, which was established in 1831 when Belgium declared its independence from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands after a successful struggle, thus creating a new independent state on the territory of the former Austrian Netherlands called Belgium. The first proposals for the construction of a railway network emerged around 1830 during the Belgian Revolution. They primarily called for connecting Brussels with the major port city of Antwerp, which was then only linked by a canal. The model for this connection was the line between Liverpool and Manchester, which was being built by the legendary British railway engineer George Stephenson, according to TrainWorld.
The year 1831 would be crucial for the Belgian railway as the new state’s king, Leopold I, leaned towards the idea of building a railway network as a vital pillar for his country. Initially, he sought inspiration in England, to which he sent a delegation led by two young engineers, Simons and De Ridder. Their task was to study railway construction in the country where railways were born and to develop a plan for the first railway connecting Antwerp to the Rhine River. From several options, a 248 km long route was chosen, running from Antwerp through Mechelen, where there would be a branch to the capital, Brussels, to Cologne.
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However, they did not take inspiration from England in one respect. Recognizing the risks of leaving the construction of the railway network entirely in private hands, they proposed that the state should oversee it. King Leopold I finally succeeded in defending the construction of the railway network before parliament in 1834, although it required a challenging path of 17 exhausting sessions. The main opposition came from members of parliament representing citizens connected to water transport, who feared losing their market monopoly. The final verdict was clear: 56 votes for and 28 against in the House of Representatives, and 32 votes for and 8 against in the Senate. The railway was to be built.
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Leopold I; Source: Wikimedia commons / Public domain
The State Takes Over
The first step was the creation of the state company Belgian Railways. This was followed by the opening of the railway between Mechelen and Brussels, making Brussels the first capital city in the world to have a railway connection. The railway network, with Mechelen as its strategically located hub, quickly expanded. By 1843, the Belgian network had reached 556 km. Three years later, a railway connected Brussels with Paris, making them the first two capital cities connected by rail.
The decision for Belgium to follow the path of state-led railway construction did not initially mean closing the door to private initiatives. This is demonstrated by the fact that while the state network covered 863 km of railways in 1870, 39 different private companies operated their trains on 2,231 km of tracks. It should be noted, however, that most of these were foreign investors. In that year, the state decided to change its strategy. Through Belgian Railways, the state decided to buy up almost all the railway lines within its territory, leaving only a few exceptions, thereby becoming the dominant train operator in Belgium. Interestingly, Belgian Railways became the largest employer in the country, with 80,000 employees.
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The Belgian railway network continued to expand until World War I. Belgian Railways refused to cooperate with the Germans during the occupation, forcing them to operate the railways themselves. To move troops as efficiently as possible, the Germans built a railway line between Aachen and Tongeren in just two years, with its centerpiece being a viaduct over a kilometer long near Moresnet.
Thalys; Source: Wikimedia commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Public domain
The interwar period focused on the reconstruction of the railway network and the creation of the National Belgian Railway Company (NMBS/SNCB) in 1926, which was granted operational rights for 75 years. Reconstruction of the network went hand in hand with its electrification. The first electric line opened in 1935 between Brussels and Antwerp, with trains reaching speeds of up to 120 km/h.
World War II again inflicted severe damage on the Belgian railway. After the war, less than half of the network was operational. The primary focus of the post-war years was again reconstruction, during which electrification of the network continued. A significant project of this period was the North-South connection in Brussels, completed in 1952.
The domestic network was essentially complete, and it was time to finish connecting with neighboring countries. In 1957, the Trans Europe Express (TEE) network was established, involving most of the countries forming the European Economic Community. Brussels became a hub of this network. Over time, train speeds increased to 200 km/h. This network lasted until the 1990s when it was replaced by the new EuroCity network.
The final task for Belgium was to build high-speed rail lines (HSR). Due to the country's small size, domestic HSR did not make sense. International transport justified the construction of HSR on Belgian territory. The first was the Paris-Brussels-Cologne/Amsterdam line (HSL). Despite doubts from many politicians, the Belgian government gave the green light in 1990. The first section on Belgian soil was completed in 1997 between Lembeek and the French border. The Belgian section was finished in 2009 with the completion of the line between Antwerp and the Dutch border. Trains like Thalys (Paris-Brussels-Cologne/Amsterdam) and EuroStar (London-Brussels) travel at speeds of up to 300 km/h.
Belgian rail network 1870; Source: Wikimedia commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
To increase efficiency, the Belgian government decided to split NMBS/SNCB, leading to the creation of two independent companies in 2014: Infrabel, which manages the infrastructure, and NMBS/SNCB, which operates the trains.
In 2022, Belgian Transport Minister Georges Gilkinet presented the Railway Vision 2040 plan, outlining the future direction for the railways. The goals are clear: more freight, more passengers, and more affordable prices. The environmental benefits of rail transport are also evident. An investment of 3.4 billion euros aims to shift as many people as possible from roads to rails. Additionally, starting in January 2025, most of the network will exclusively operate under the European Train Control System (ETCS) to enhance safety. Otherwise, the network is considered practically complete, with investments focused on maintenance.
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Source: TrainWorld