Belgium Trains

Belgian railways: modern stations and abandoned rolling stock

Belgium

This photo set documents rail infrastructure and rolling stock associated with Belgium’s rail network and its international links. Images include Santiago Calatrava’s Liège‑Guillemins station with its sweeping steel-and-glass canopy, platforms and track layout at Brussels‑South/Midi, and an abandoned SNCB Autorail Série 400 unit near Charleroi. Additional photographs show a derelict locomotive at a former industrial site, highlighting disused equipment alongside active transport hubs. The collection emphasizes functional architecture, operational platforms and the afterlife of mid-20th-century rolling stock.
Brussels South/Midi Station platforms and adjacent Pullman Hotel in Brussels, Belgium, a major railway hub for international and domestic train services.
September 30, 2017 — Brussels-South/Midi Station, a major railway hub in Brussels, Belgium, is pictured in September 2017. The station serves as a key international gateway, connecting high-speed trains like Thalys and Eurostar with domestic Belgian rail services. Adjacent to the platforms, the Pullman Hotel and a modern glass skyscraper reflect the station's role as a nexus of transportation and commerce in the city.
An abandoned locomotive sits on tracks at a former industrial site in Belgium, next to a decaying brick building.
September 28, 2017 — An abandoned locomotive rests on tracks at a former industrial site in Belgium. The locomotive, painted in faded green and red, shows signs of graffiti and decay, indicative of its disuse. Adjacent to the tracks is a large brick building with industrial-style doors and windows, suggesting the site's past as a manufacturing or transportation hub. The overgrown vegetation and weathered pavement highlight the passage of time and the abandonment of this once-functional industrial area.
Abandoned SNCB Autorail 4001, a 1950s diesel multiple unit, rests on a disused track in Charleroi, Belgium, reflecting post-war industrial decline.
September 28, 2017 — An abandoned SNCB/NMBS Autorail Série 400, unit no. 4001, sits on a disused track near Charleroi, Belgium. These diesel multiple units, built by BN (La Brugeoise et Nivelles) in the early 1950s, were a significant post-war modernization effort for Belgian regional rail. Their streamlined design and distinctive red-and-cream livery symbolized industrial progress at the time. The current state of decay, with peeling paint and broken windows, reflects the decline of railway manufacturing in Wallonia and the obsolescence of this once-modern transport technology.
Liège-Guillemins Station, a modern transport hub in Liège, Belgium, designed by Santiago Calatrava, features an expansive glass and steel canopy.
September 27, 2017 — Liège-Guillemins Station in Liège, Belgium, is a major high-speed rail hub designed by Santiago Calatrava and opened in 2009. Its expansive glass and steel canopy creates an open, transparent atmosphere, housing five platforms and ten tracks. The station replaced a 1958 structure, symbolizing Liège's modernization and serving as a key transport link and a prominent architectural landmark.
Liège-Guillemins Railway Station in Belgium, designed by Santiago Calatrava, features a distinctive steel and glass structure with sweeping arches.
September 27, 2017 — The Liège-Guillemins railway station, designed by Santiago Calatrava and opened in 2009, is a prominent contemporary transport hub in Belgium. Its distinctive steel and glass structure, characterized by sweeping arches and an absence of traditional facades, allows natural light to illuminate the platforms, emphasizing openness. Serving as a key junction for high-speed rail lines connecting Liège with major European cities, the station was conceived as both a functional transit point and a symbol of urban revitalization. The exposed engineering and rhythmic design elements make the building itself an expression of movement and modern transit.
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