1835: The Opening of a Pivotal Railway Line in Belgium

May 5, 1835

The first steam passenger railway in continental Europe was opened in Belgium. This section of railway, which connected the cities of Brussels and Mechelen, was the initial segment of the Belgian Railway Line 25. 

English civil engineer George Stephenson was among the first to travel on the new line. His company, as a matter of fact, provided the original locomotives used for that route. A second section of the Belgian Railway Line was opened a year later and extended the line to Antwerp. 

This railway ushered in the rapid development of a larger transit network in Belgium within the following decade. The longtime Belgian Railway Line 25 also proved to be a major force in that country’s significant industrial growth throughout the 19^th century.

Image Credit: Public Domain

For more information on the Belgian Railway Line 25, please check out  https://artsandculture.google.com/entity/belgian-railway-line-25/m0b73xj3?hl=en