| The Belgian Railways are one one of the most intensely operated networks in the whole of western Europe. This relatively small country enjoys a level of service which in many ways is comparable to that offered on the former BR Southern Region.
The great majority of the network is electrified, and the relatively short distances mean that commuting to Brussels is practical from most parts of the country. The Belgian Railways have always appeared to suffer from under-investment, particularly in station facilities which often seem quite drab and dowdy by the standards of other countries. In spite of this a highly efficient and punctual service is operated. Recent years have seen new rolling stock replace most of the traditional two car units which provided much of the service for many years. Antwerpen Central station has also been extesively remodelled and refurbished whilst retaining the traditional structure. Nowadays the scene is even more interesting with German ICE and Thalys sets running through to Brussels and both TGV and Eurostar through services from Paris and London. |
The "Chemin der Fer des Trois Vallées" is a preserved line south of Charleroi. In September each year the line hosts a steam festival at the base in Mariembourg, which I visited in 1986. This shot shows a pair of outside cylinder industrial 0-6-0T locos entering Mariembourg on 27 September 1986 900x614 CF3V_Mariembourg_a_27-9-86.jpg |
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The newest stock on Belgian Railways in the 1980s were the 2-car "Break" units built from 1980 to 1984. They tend to be used in trains of 4 or 5 units, and in this view AM83 class unit 408 is bringing up the rear of an inbound train leaving Bruxelles Quartier Leopold on 18 May 1989 900x618 SNCB_0408_18-5-89.jpg |
A train formed of several 2-car "Break" units and headed by unit 435 enters Bruxelles Quartier Leopold on 18 May 1989. These units earn their name from the French use of the word which means estate car. 900x620 SNCB_0435_18-5-89.jpg |
Bruxelles Quartier Leopold is in the heart of the banking and government office district and in peak hours the station is teaming with passengers heading to and from their offices. After the rush the station assumed an almost rural atmosphere. AM55 unit 509 heads in inbound train on 18 May 1989 900x620 SNCB_0509_18-5-89.jpg |
In spite of their somewhat dated appearance the AM66 class two car units were still relatively modern vehicles back in 1989. They were used in multiple sets on working such as Antwerpen-Brussels-Charleroi. Unit 622 is at the rear of a typical formation at Schaarbeek on 19 May 1989 900x616 SNCB_0622_19-5-89.jpg |
44 of these 4-car units were built between 1974 and 1979 and were often found on secondary main line workings such as this example, 812, seen at Oostende on 21 May 1989 forming a working to Antwerpen via Gent and St.Niklaas 900x627 SNCB_0812_21-5-89.jpg |
Class 12 are dual voltage (3000 V dc/25 KV ac) locos originally designed for the Antwerpen-Mouscron-Lille services. This is 1206 at Schaarbeek on 19 May 1989 900x584 SNCB_1206_19-5-89.jpg |
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The class 22 electrics were a mixed traffic design first built in 1954. 2231 stands at Knokke on the coast with a train formed of Netherlands Railways stock which was almost certainly some sort of special working on 20 May 1989 900x592 SNCB_2231_20-5-89.jpg |
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This view shows class 25 dual voltage loco 2554 at Amsterdam Centraal on 11 April 1977 at the head of a train from Brussels. These locos had been built in 1960/61 and modified to dual voltage to work on the Netherlands Railways 1500 V dc system in 1973 900x614 SNCB_2554_11-4-77.jpg |
I chose to take a circuitous route to travel from Brussel to Oostende taking a train which ran as far as Gent via Zottegem, Oudenaarde and Kortrijk. During a wait for time at Kortrijk I got this shot of class 27 electric 2736 at the head of the train on the occasion of my one and only visit to this town on 20 May 1989 900x587 SNCB_2736_20-5-89.jpg |
Another class 27 seen at the buffer stops at Oostende on 21 May 1989 was 2738 with a train formed of M4 stock which had most likely originated at Cologne and formed the main east-west service via Liège and Brussels. With the ending of regular passenger shipping services from Dover, Oostende has lost much of its importance in recent years and services are now much reduced. In the 1980s it was possible to walk off the Jetfoil service straight onto a waiting train and be on the way to Brussels within 15 minutes 900x627 SNCB_2738_21-5-89.jpg |
Seen at Mariembourg on 27 September 1986 was this preserved three car diesel multiple unit, formerly Belgian Railways 4006 dating from 1957 and therefore contemporary with first generation dmus on BR 900x614 SNCB_4006_27-9-86.jpg |
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Class 51 diesels were mostly used on freight work but they also had some peak hour passenger duties on trains from Brussels to De Panne and Ronse. 5102 was heading towards the city with empty coaching stock at Schaarbeek on 19 May 1989 900x616 SNCB_5102_19-5-89.jpg |
Belgian Railways class 55 diesel locos were based at Liège and used on the then non-electrified routes in the Ardennes region. 5511 in blue livery is seen entering Trois-Ponts with a train formed of Luxembourg Railways stock on a Liège to Luxembourg working on 5 August 1995 900x567 SNCB_5511_5-8-95.jpg |
A freight with class 63 diesel lcoc 6330 in charge storms northbound through Vilvoorde on 20 May 1989 900x621 SNCB_6330_20-5-89.jpg |
Part of the inetrior of the beautifully restored and cleaned main station building at Antwerpen Centraal on 6 December 2003 623x900 SNCB_Antwerpen_6-12-03.jpg |
