Old railway

The railway is located in an area with a long military history. In Brasschaat, soldiers practiced on the Klein and later the Groot Schietveld. The first military airport in Belgium was also built here. The forts of Kapellen and Brasschaat are nearby and the railway line crosses a German bunker line from 1917 and the famous anti-tank ditch. The military track was built to easily transport goods, equipment and troops from the civilian network to the barracks.
The line is now used for rail cycling from April to October.

Fragment from our walking experience:
The Explainer out & down at walking pace… 12/02/2021We write 1915, except for the Westhoek all of Belgium is occupied. There is a stalemate over a 600 km front from the west coast at Nieuwpoort to the Swiss border. The German occupier fears that they could be attacked from the back by the Allies via the Netherlands. They decide to build a defense line from Antwerp deep into the Kempen. The line is ready in 1917. This eventually fell into oblivion until the aerial photographs of Josef Zimmermann were discovered in 2007. Many hikers can now rediscover these 'Forgotten Lines'.
Similar bunkers and trenches are also open to visitors in Kapellen - Mastenbos.... In order to fully 'explain' our historic walk and to be able to draw a line under it, we still need to draw a line on the historic Kapellen – Brasschaat railway line. This railway was built in the late summer of 1914 to connect the forts of the Defense Line of Antwerp.
We follow the track until it is completely snowed under on the border with Brasschaat. We have lost track and stooped over the Klein Schietveld of the Military Camp.
The Fort rises, I was able to 'Explain' everything and we are happy to make a round around the vest.
Reassured, we measured everything, the measurements are correct, we put away our stick meter.
The stick meter has served well on the slippery hiking trails, the rest has been done by Komoot.
On to the next adventure…
Triggered?
Walk “De Uitlegger at walking pace & covered” is back in my collection Province of Antwerp.

This railway is now used for rail bicycles.