Trip to Belgium - July 2001
This trip had several purposes: (i) generally checking on the routing of trains at complex stations such as Antwerpen-Berchem; (ii) travelling over a couple of lines never or not recently visited; (iii) a weekend away for my mother.
Operating Company Abbreviations:
- CSE - Connex South Eastern (train operator in south-east England)
- CT - Central Trains (train operator in central England)
- LUL - London Underground Limited (transport operator in London)
- SNCB - Société National des Chemins de Fer Belges (Belgian National Railways)
- SNCF - Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Français (French National Railways)
- VT - Virgin Trains (West Coast Main Line train operator in England)
| Place | Arrive | Depart | Train | Traction details & notes |
Saturday 21st July 2001
| Tame Bridge Parkway | 07:59 | CT DMU 150 103 | ||
| Birmingham New Street | 08:20 | 08:45 | VT 87 016P | |
| London Euston | 10:37 | arr 9 late | ||
| Euston | 10:58 | LUL EMU Northern Line | ||
| Waterloo | 11:11 | |||
| London Waterloo International | 12:27 | 9132 | SNCB Eurostar 3101+3102 via normal route | |
| Bruxelles Midi | 16:10 | 16:16 | IR4216 | SNCB EMU 336 |
| Bruxelles Central | 16:19 | |||
| Bruxelles Central | 17:04 | IR3614 | SNCB EMU 401 + 346 | |
| Bruxelles Nord | 17:09 | 17:36 | IC1516 | SNCB EMU 567 + 549 + 537 + 533 |
| Leuven | 18:01 | 18:33 | IC540 | SNCB EL 1345 dep 6 late |
| Bruxelles Central | 19:03 | arr 6 late | ||
| New passenger track today: none. | ||||
| Overnight at Hotel la Madeleine (5 minutes walk from Bruxelles Central, near Grand Place) (two nights) | ||||
Sunday 22nd July 2001
| Bruxelles Central | 08:40 | IC2108 | SNCB EMU 522 + 503 | |
| Ottignies | 09:13 | 09:21 | L6458 | SNCB EMU 925 + 946 |
| Louvain-la-Neuve-Université | 09:27 | 09:33 | L6480 | SNCB EMU 946 + 925 |
| Leuven | 10:28 | (platform D, not via diveunder) | ||
| Leuven | 10:40 | IR2610 | SNCB EMU 379 + 421 | |
| * Mechelen (reverse) | 11:01 | 11:07 | SNCB EMU 421 | |
| Antwerpen-Berchem | 11:23 | 12:07 | IR3432 | SNCB EMU 330 |
| Antwerpen-Centraal | 12:10 | 14:38 | IC1836 | SNCB EL 1306 |
| Brugge | 15:55 | 17:59 | IC517 | SNCB EL 1345P dep 8 late |
| Bruxelles Central | 18:55 | arr 10 late | ||
| Bruxelles Midi | 21:52 | IC520 | SNCB EL 1344P | |
| Bruxelles Central | 21:55 | |||
| New passenger track today: none. | ||||
| Overnight at Hotel la Madeleine. | ||||
Monday 23rd July 2001
| Bruxelles Central | 08:26 | IR3907 | SNCB EMU 822 + 836 | |
| Etterbeek | 08:45 | 08:51 | L3579 | SNCB EMU 902 |
| Halle | 09:12 | 09:18 | IR3729 | SNCB EMU 430 + 362 + 337 + 435 |
| Mons | 09:53 | 10:02 | IR3809 | SNCB EMU 259 |
| Saint Ghislain | 10:13 | 10:47 | IR3831 | SNCB EMU 237 |
| Charleroi Sud | 11:38 | 12:07 | IC2012 | SNCB EMU 458 + 479 dep 8 late |
| Bruxelles Midi | 12:50 | '1' | arr 5 late | |
| Bruxelles Midi | 14:56 | 9141 | SNCF Eurostar 3220 + 3219 | |
| London Waterloo International | 16:39 | |||
| Waterloo East | 17:06 | CSE EMU 465 237 + ? + ? Waterloo LUL security alert | ||
| Charing Cross | 17:10 | 17:20 | LUL EMU Northern Line | |
| Leicester Square | 17:21 | 17:22 | LUL EMU Piccadilly Line | |
| Kings Cross | 17:23 | |||
| London Euston | 19:15 | VT EL 90012 via Line D then fast line | ||
| Birmingham New Street | 20:54 | 21:23 | CT 150 102 | |
| Tame Bridge Parkway | 21:51 | |||
| New passenger track today: Etterbeek - Halle | ||||
Tickets used: Tame Bridge - London: Virgin Saver; London - Bruxelles: Eurostar 14-day Leisure ticket; within Belgium: 3-day Euro Domino (for convenience and flexibility).