On Thursday, 3 December 2026, EPF member organisations Réseau #enTrain Europe and Back-on-Track Belgium will jointly organise an international conference entitled “Night Trains & Cross-Border Rail – Bridging Territories” at Be Central, Brussels. The event will bring together activists, experts, elected officials and representatives from across Europe for a full day of discussions on reviving night trains and strengthening cross-border rail connections.

The conference will open with a welcome address by Jean-Luc Crucke, Belgian Federal Minister for Mobility, Climate and Ecological Transition, followed by an introduction from MEP Lena Schilling and a presentation on the potential of night trains in Europe by Professor Simon Blainey from the University of Birmingham. The morning programme further features two panel debates: one on night trains, and another on the EU Passenger Package. EPF’s Senior Researcher Delphine Grandsart will join the Passenger Package panel, alongside MEP Kai Tegethoff and representatives from BEUC, T&E and ÖBB.

The afternoon sessions will be introduced by Karima Delli, former TRAN Committee chair, followed by discussions on cross-border rail connections, including the France – Italy border and experiences from different European regions. The conference will conclude with a discussion on successful cross-border cooperation, featuring contributions from the European Commission’s DG REGIO, Masaryk University (Brno, Czechia), the Lille – Kortrijk – Tournai Eurometropolis and Lémanis SA, operator of the Léman Express.

Practical information

📅 Date: Thursday 3 December 2026
🕘 Time: 09:00 – 17:00
📍Venue: Be Central, Brussels Central Station
🌍 Languages: French and English
🎟️ Registration: Free of charge. You can register here.
📄 Programme: You can access the full programme here.