Opened in 2015 in Schaerbeek, Brussels, Train World is the official Belgian railway museum. It combines the historic Schaerbeek station with a modern exhibition hall designed by architect François Schuiten.
The museum presents Belgium’s railway history from 1835 to today, featuring over 1,000 objects: locomotives, carriages, models, photographs, uniforms, and railway technology. Visitors discover the impact of trains on industry, society, and daily life through immersive scenography, sound, and light. Train World is both a museum and an experience, celebrating nearly two centuries of Belgian railway heritage.
Highlights include pioneering steam engines (such as the replica of L’Éléphant), the luxurious royal carriages, and examples of high-speed technology. One of Belgium’s very first steam locomotives, built in England by Tayleur & Co. for the inauguration of the Brussels–Mechelen line on 5 May 1835.L’Éléphant pulled the longest train that day, including 16 wagons with George Stephenson aboard.
Though the original is lost, Train World preserves its legacy with a life-size wooden replica and a 1:10 scale model.