| 1835 | Inauguration of the Brussels - Mechelen railway line. First train on the European continent. |
| 1870 | The State manages 863 km of railway lines. Private companies operate 2,231 km. |
| 1912 | The State railway network is 4,786 km long. 275 km are still privately owned. |
| 1926 | Founding of NMBS/SNCB. |
| 1931 | NMBS/SNCB introduces the first metal carriages. The interior was designed by the renowned Belgian designer and artist Henry van de Velde. |
| 1932 | First tests with light signals between Charleroi and Namur. |
| 1933 | The continuous automatic air brake on freight wagons enters general use. The profession of brakeman – there were approximately three thousand – disappears. |
| 1935 | Electric trains between Antwerp and Brussels. |
| 1939 | The powerful type 12 locomotive, the Atlantic, makes its entrance and establishes a speed record for steam locomotives the following year. The Atlantic races from Brussels to Ostend in 57 minutes with an average speed of 121 km/h and reaches a top speed of 165 km/h. |
| 1945 | End of the Second World War. The railway network finds itself in a disastrous condition. |
| 1948 | The Belgian railway network is the most dense in the world with a length of 5,034 km. |
| 1956 | The third class is abolished in international rail traffic. In domestic traffic the first class was already abolished on July 1, 1952. The second and third classes were re-designated as first and second class. |
| 1956 | NMBS/SNCB introduces the first car-sleeper train on the European mainland. |
| 1957 | Introduction of the fast and comfortable Trans Europ Express (TEE). |
| 1963 | The Brussels - Paris connection goes fully electric on September 9. |
| 1965 | The container makes its entrance in freight transport. |
| 1966 |
NMBS/SNCB officially says goodbye to steam traction with a festive journey between Ath and Denderleeuw. |
| 1969 | The first intermodal train and metro station, Schuman, is opened in Brussels. |
| 1970 | Electric trains can now run to Zaventem airport. |
| 1975 | Introduction of the train + bike formula. |
| 1977 | First automatic train wash. |
| 1984 | Introduction of the IC/IR plan. From now on trains will run according to a fixed timetable. |
| 1989 | The NMBS/SNCB presents its STAR 21 plan for the future. |
| 1994 | Eurostar connects Brussels to London via the Channel Tunnel. |
| 1996 | Thalys is put on the tracks. |
| 2005 | The NMBS/SNCB is split into the coordinating SNCB-Holding, railway operator NMBS/SNCB and infrastructure manager Infrabel. |
| 2009 | Belgium is the first country in Europe to complete its high-speed network. |
| 2010 | Belgium celebrates the 175th anniversary of its railway system. |
| 2011 | Desiro trains arrive on the network. These lightweight trains are used for regional passenger transport. |
| 2012 | Inauguration Diabolo. Railway line that connects the underground train station at Zaventem airport directly to the main axes of the railway network. |
| 2014 | NMBS/SNCB and Infrabel become two independent companies. SNCB-Holding is discontinued. |
| 2015 | Launch of the suburban S-service in and around Brussels. |
| 2015 | Train World officially opens its doors on September 25, 2015. |
| 2020 | NMBS/SNCB circulates the first M7 coaches on its network. These coaches are equipped with the most modern security systems. |
Previous: 7. Stations
Today we're open from 10:00 until 17:00 (last admission at 15:30).