Belgian royal railway history: marking 100 years of NMBS/SNCB
In Belgium, trains are such a familiar part of everyday life that we rarely stop to think about the history travelling with us. We take the train to work, to school, for a day out or perhaps to begin a journey abroad. Yet those railway tracks tell a story stretching back almost two centuries.
And in 2026, there is an extra reason to look back. The National Railway Company of Belgium, better known as NMBS/SNCB, is celebrating its 100th anniversary.
For me, this anniversary has a personal connection too. I am an avid train traveller myself and whenever possible, I love discovering places by rail. But there is another reason why this anniversary deserves a place on All About Royal Families: Belgian railway history also has a fascinating royal side.
A century on the rails
Belgium has always been a railway pioneer. As early as 1835, the first public railway on the European continent connected Brussels with Mechelen.
The NMBS/SNCF itself was established in 1926, taking over the railway lines and activities of the Belgian State Railways. It officially became active on 1 September that year.
The following decades transformed travelling by train. In the 1930s, the Brussels to Antwerp line was electrified and faster connections appeared. Even the familiar NMBS symbol has a long history. The famous letter B surrounded by an oval originated from a design competition in 1934. Architect Henry Van de Velde, who chaired the jury, played a role in giving the logo the shape we still recognise today.
Behind the familiar image of Belgium’s railways lies a much darker chapter in the country’s history. During the Second World War, Belgian trains and railway infrastructure were used under German occupation for deportation transports. It is a painful chapter in Belgian railway history, but an important one to remember when looking back over the past century.
Where royal railway history comes alive
One of the best places to discover this history today is Train World in Schaerbeek, Brussels.
The museum itself already has a royal connection. King Philippe officially opened Train World on 24 September 2015. Inside, more than a century of railway memories is brought together through historic locomotives, carriages, models and railway objects.
Walking among these old trains is a wonderful reminder of just how much travelling has changed. Steam locomotives once represented speed and modernity, just as high-speed trains do today.
One of Train World's treasures is the Pays de Waes, built in 1844 and the oldest steam locomotive preserved by NMBS. Another spectacular survivor is the streamlined Type 12 locomotive from 1939, capable of reaching 140 kilometres per hour.
Royal trains
For royal enthusiasts, however, there is something particularly special to discover.
Train World preserves historic carriages from the Belgian royal trains. They include carriages associated with the reigns of King Leopold II and King Albert I, as well as the later royal train used during the reigns of King Leopold III and King Baudouin.
One surviving royal saloon carriage dates from 1901 and includes a private lounge, sleeping accommodation and even a bathroom for the King. It offers a wonderful glimpse into an era when royal journeys by train were important events in themselves.
Suddenly, railway history and royal history meet.
The journey continues
One hundred years after the creation of NMBS, Belgium's railways continue to change. The steam locomotives have disappeared from everyday service, royal trains belong to another era and today's passengers travel in a very different world. Yet the railway remains part of Belgian life.
Perhaps that is what makes this centenary so interesting. It is not simply the anniversary of a railway company. It is a century filled with departures and arrivals, changing landscapes, family journeys, royal journeys and millions of ordinary moments.
And the next time we step onto a Belgian train, perhaps it is worth remembering just how much history has travelled along those same tracks before us.
Have you ever visited Train World in Brussels? And which part of Belgium's railway history would you most like to discover? If this article has made you curious, you can discover much more at Train World.
Travelling by train in Belgium, 2026
Own pictures from various train travels in Belgium
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