Eastern Belgium

As we approach midsummer, the sun sets far enough north for the sunset to light up the skies behind the Moresnet Viaduct. An eastbound tank car train is led by one of the now-ubiquitous class 28 electrics.

The newest and last Traxx, 2843, leads train 44532 (Gremberg/D - Antwerpen-Noord) between Botzelaar and Montzen approaching the Rue d'Aix overpass. The forest was seriously cut back to make room for the electrification work here in 2008, but nature is regaining lost ground fast.

This is the original 1841 alignment of the first international railway line linking Germany and Belgium, and one of the first major railways built in Europe. Speaking of Europe, shown is a Dutch Hispeed-owned, German-built ICE3M, on its way from France to Germany, photographed in Belgium. The train is eastbound en route from Paris/F Gare du Nord to Frankfurt/D and the location is near Goffontaine in the Vesdre Valley. The ICEs started using the parallel new LGV3 highspeed route between Aachen/D and Liege a few months later, in June 2009.