New stamps for 100 years of SNCB/NMBS
On Monday 26 January, bpost will issue new stamps to mark the the centenary of SNCB/NMBS. Featuring five iconic trains, the stamps also highlight the past and present cooperation between the two iconic Belgian companies.
Both bpost and SNCB/NMBS have had an impact on the daily lives of all Belgians for generations. For the railways, 2026 is a particularly special year, as SNCB/NMBS was founded on 23 July 1926. To highlight the railway company’s 100th anniversary, bpost, in cooperation with SNCB/NMBS, will launch a stamp sheet on Monday featuring five iconic trains that have shaped the history of the Belgian railways. The first print run of the stamps was symbolically launched by
two train attendants at the bpost stamp printing facility in Mechelen.
The stamp issue featuring iconic trains will be available for purchase online via the bpost e-shop from Monday 26 January.
From mail trains to bboxes in stations
The stamp series is a fitting continuation of the close bond between bpost and SNCB/NMBS. A bond to which one of the depicted trains explicitly refers, as one of the stamps features an autonomous postal train (APT) from 1967. This train served as a sorting centre on wheels: on board, hundreds of postal workers could sort mail while the train travelled back and forth five times a day between the country’s various sorting centres. This continued until 2003, when the postal train was retired.
Today, the cooperation between bpost and SNCB/NMBS has taken on a more modern form. Last year, bpost expanded the number of bboxes (parcel lockers) in railway stations to 270 units. As a result, travellers can now collect, send or return parcels 24/7 via bpost’s automated lockers in half of the railway stations across the country.
King Baudouin Foundation, photography and Elvis Pompilio
On 26 January, bpost will also issue three other stamp releases. The 50th anniversary of the King Baudouin Foundation marks another jubilee. For half a century, the organization has supported projects that contribute to social cohesion, justice and well-being. Photography is also celebrated, with a stamp sheet featuring five photographs by Belgian photography pioneers from the 19th century. Finally, there is a stamp issue showcasing five memorable hats by fashion designer Elvis Pompilio.
Press Relations
Dimitri Temmerman
