Belgium Railways

[Boroin]

Well, as a newbie here, i will try to give my five cents contribution to this site.

You perhaps don't know that Belgium gain his independance in 1830 (officialy the 4th october). She was before "the battlefield of Europe" since our country had been french, spannish, austrian, some part English, and between 1815 and 1830, after Waterloo, under the Nederland authorities.

In the first years of our independant history, Belgium think about the opportunity to build railroads and to use the new english locomotive. The fact that horses are not specially fast in this time and that our rivers (Escaut and Meuse) go through Nederland our close past "oppressor", Belgium decide to build the first railroad line between Mechelen(Malines) and Brussel(Bruxelles). It was complete the 5th may of 1835 rapidly followed by Mechelen - Antwerpen(Anvers) the 3rd may of 1836 and Mechelen - Termonde on the 2nd january of 1837. As the private investors was not interested, it was the state who build these first lines.

Belgium want to connect his neighbours to develop his economy, France to the west and Prussia to the east. It will be done at the end of 1843, with a total of 559 km of railway lines.

At this time, a lot of towns are still fortified and the new commanders of the army, refuse them to be pierced. These explains that a lot of modern railway stations are outside the town center of a lot of belgian towns.

In 1844, Edige Walschaerts, a belgian railway mechanical engineer, improve steampower locomotives with his invention, "The Walschaerts valve gear". If at the beginning, the Stephenson valve gear still stand popular, his one will be extensively used from the late 19th century to the end of steam era.

The state will continue to developp his network but now call private english companies. They receive concessions and subventions. With these help, in 1861 the network is 1935 km lentgh with only 750 to the Belgium state. But these network is deeply anarchical and the english investors rapidly sell their parts to belgian shareholders.

Even if the railroads were subventionned, that wokforce was very cheap and that security was disregarded the financial situations of these compagnies were more and more worrying (the "Grande compagnie du Luxembourg" had one death each day on the line "Bruxelles-Arlon").

Enf of part 1 : feel free to correct my english. I will edit my post.

[Boroin]

Part 2.

There was others who were interested in Belgium Railways. The french company "Chemin de fer du Nord", taked control of some minors ones in the "Meuse" valley to have a straight way from belgian coal mines to the region of Paris. The line Namur (B) - Givet (F) who completed this project, will open the 1st july 1862.

But the belgian governement is worried because, like the French, the german state try to take control of some railways in the country. Pushed by the public opinion and by the military preoccupations, the governement take some measures to keep under belgian control all the railway company. In 1864 is created the "Grand central Belge" who bring together a lot of companies.

A little bit latter, after is trip in the USA, George Nagelmackers (born in Liège in 1845) created the "Compagnie Internationale des wagons-lit" (CIWL) on the 12th september 1872.

In the same time, as the state constantly help the private companies, the belgian governement begin a long term process. They begin to buy the private compagnies under a state one under the name of "Etat Belge". The last private company will be the "Compagnie de Chimay" who will be buy in 1948.

A great rail industry is growing up in the country for the internal market but also for exportation.

At the end of the 19th century, Belgium who is 30.000 kilometers square, have more than 4.500 km of railways (more than 150 m per square kilometer or 390 per square mile) who, combine with the 9.000 km of roads, coal mines, iron (at this time) and now a great industry, will bring Belgium at the top 5 of the Industrialized country of the world.

[Boroin]

Part 3

The Rail development was going in conjontion with industry, but with mail services and the telegraph. The rail permitted the tansport of workers from the country to towns as the workforce rapidly decrease in town with this fast growing industries.

During the WWI, germans will develop rail in the far south and the east of Belgium. After the war, and the incorporation of some german territories (Eupen and Saint-vith/Sankt Vith), belgian rail add some german materials. And that's why german is the third national language in Belgium.

Between the two wars, the "Etat Belge" national rail company, became the "S.N.C.B." ou "Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Belge", the actual name. In 1938 was created is actual logo, a simple "B". It's too the end of the golden age. If before the only concurential way was waterways, now the roads become to be a big concurential system.

Beside the Big railroad exist a tramway system in a lot of big or not so bigger towns. During the 50's it's about 4.200 km of tramways rail who are in exploitations. The last remaining part of these network are only in Gent, Antwerpen, in Charleroi and the Coast line between De Panne and Knokke. The first line ever was "Bois de la Cambre - Schaerbeek" in Brussel/Bruxelles in 1866. In Bruxelles there is now some tramways but it's integrate with the metro.

If the first "big" line to be electrified was Mechelen - Antwerpen in 1935, it was during the 50's that the principal lines will be. Now, almost all the network is.

The last thing we can say about rail history, is the particularity of Brussel/Bruxelles. The town is crossed by a underground line. This underground line was inaugurated in 1952. If in Paris, London, Berlin, you have to quit your train, take a metro, go to another station and take another train to crossover these capitals, in Brussel/Bruxelles, you have just to change train.

Well, it's now finished. I must admit that I take it from other websites and Wiki for the most part. I hope you enjoy it. Feel free to complete this story if you have more information or if you want to precise some points. You can ask some questions too.

[nedfumpkin]

Thanks, I found it very interesting. I've had the pleasure of riding in a carriage with a B on it. A pleasant trip, and I especially appreciated the poppies that grow along the track.

[Logales]

Another interesting point that can be made about railway lines in Belgium, but not only there, is the use of disused lines to create cycling paths.
But, I must say, in my experience that Belgium and Germany are reallyway ahead of France in this area.

I don't know about the USA or Canada, but are old lines being used for cars or bikes ?

[Hawk]

I know of one line here in Georgia that was converted into a hiking/bicycling path. Its' the Silver Comet line. It's 61 miles long.

Better watch those poppies Ned. They can get you in trouble.

[Wolverine@MSU]

Several former railbeds have been converted to hiking/biking trails in Michigan (Rails to Trails program). I think there's one that goes across the state, from Lake Michigan to Lake Huron.

[Blackhawk]

There's a link with you can look up parts of the US and see the trails and if they were previously rail lines. I know Chicago has a few, I've walked down one that was converted from an old Milwaukee Road line. The house I used to live in also used to have a rail road that went through it's backyard years before the house was ever built. The railway was torn up, but some of the railroad ties were used to border the houses driveway which gave it some character.