Rail enthusiasts and families will once again head to the Bocq Valley next month as the annual Fête du Rail returns on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 August. Organised by Patrimoine Ferroviaire et Tourisme – Toerisme en SpoorPatrimonium (PFT-TSP), the two-day festival will showcase Belgium‘s railway heritage along the scenic Bocq Railway (Chemin de Fer du Bocq), widely regarded as one of the country’s most beautiful heritage railway lines.
Visitors will be able to travel the full length of the Chemin de Fer du Bocq on heritage trains, with departures every hour throughout both days. The complete return journey takes around two hours and offers passengers the chance to experience one of Belgium’s best-preserved historic railway routes through the Namur province countryside.
Historic and modern railway equipment
In addition to the heritage train services, the festival will feature an extensive display of railway rolling stock from different eras. Historic locomotives, coaches and freight wagons from the PFT-TSP collection will be joined by more modern equipment from various railway companies, illustrating the evolution of rail transport from the past to the present.
Organisers have also planned a wide range of activities aimed at both railway enthusiasts and the general public, with attractions for visitors of all ages.
Activities spread across the railway line
The festival’s main arrival point will be Ciney, where visitors arriving by train will find an exhibition of modern railway equipment, alongside a bar housed in a railway carriage, a disco wagon and a restaurant coach serving pizzas.
At Spontin, the headquarters of the heritage railway, visitors can explore displays of historic rolling stock, operate a train simulator, browse the PFT-TSP shop and discover both LGB and LEGO model railways. Railway content creator Ilyass Alba (and who has now twice been in the news for breaching Belgian language laws), who has built a following of around 77,000 people on Facebook, will also be present. Families can enjoy a wooden games village, while food and drink will be available from the festival bar and barbecue.
Further along the line, Bauche will host a regional market organised by local residents, a wooden mini-golf course and bus connections to Yvoir. At Purnode, visitors can explore what organisers describe as the most picturesque section of railway line 128.
Several marked walking routes will connect stations including Spontin, Dorinne, Purnode and Bauche, allowing visitors to combine heritage train rides with walks through the Bocq Valley alongside both the river and the railway.
Annual celebration of railway heritage
The Fête du Rail has become one of Belgium’s best-known railway heritage events, bringing together preserved trains, modern railway equipment and family activities over the extended Belgian public holiday weekend. The festival aims to highlight the work of PFT-TSP in preserving and operating historic railway vehicles while promoting the Chemin de Fer du Bocq as one of the country’s leading heritage railways.
Heritage and other special trams and trains in Belgium
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