The class 96 (''MS96'' in Dutch, ''AM96'' in French) is an electric multiple unit constructed in 1996 for the

National Railway Company of Belgium french: Société nationale des chemins de fer belgesgerman: Nationale Gesellschaft der Belgischen Eisenbahnen , type = Statutory corporation , industry = Rail Transport , foundation = 1926 , founder = Government ...

. They incorporate features from the DSB IC3 trainsets in order to enable passage from one set coach to another. When two or more units are coupled together in a single train, the entire front door folds away to give a wide passage, and the rubber diaphragms at the ends form a flush aerodynamic seal. As of summer 2022, these trainsets are used almost exclusively on IC connections: * IC-03: Blankenberge - Brussels - Sint-Truiden - Genk * IC-04: Antwerp Central - Kortrijk - Poperinge / Lille-Flandres (F) * IC-06: Tournai - Brussels - Brussels Airport * IC-06A: Mons - Brussels - Brussels Airport * IC-13 Kortrijk - Zottegem - Denderleeuw - Brussels - Schaarbeek * IC-18: Brussels - Namur - Liège-Saint-Lambert * IC-19: Namur - Tournai - Lille-Flandres (F) * IC-23: Ostend - Kortrijk - Zottegem - Brussels - Brussels Airport * IC-23A: Knokke - Brussels - Brussels Airport * IC-25: Mons - Namur - Liège-Saint-Lambert * IC-29: Ghent - Aalst - Brussels - Brussels Airport - Landen * IC-32: Kortrijk - Bruges (routes 805, 821, 841) * IC-41: Namur - Charleroi - Maubeuge (F) * IC-42: Mons - Aulnoye-Aymeries (F) The MS96 also runs a limited number of P trains, L trains and S trains.

Gallery

File:AM96.jpg, Front end of the train. File:Lille - Voies en approche de la gare de Lille-Flandres (05).JPG,

NMBS/SNCB french: Société nationale des chemins de fer belgesgerman: Nationale Gesellschaft der Belgischen Eisenbahnen , type = Statutory corporation , industry = Rail Transport , foundation = 1926 , founder = Government o ...

train approaching

Gare de Lille Flandres Lille-Flandres station (French: ''Gare de Lille-Flandres'', Dutch: ''Rijsel Vlaanderen'') is the main railway station of Lille, capital of French Flanders. It is a terminus for SNCF Intercity and regional trains. It opened in 1842 as the ''Gare ...

. File:AM96 coupled.jpg, Two sets coupled in

Interior

File:MS96 Interior second class detail.JPG, Second class interior File:MS96 Interior first class.JPG, First class interior File:MS96 Interior first class detail.JPG, First class interior

Accidents and incidents

: *On 5 June 2016, two units forming a passenger train were involved in a rear-end collision with a freight train at . Three people were killed and about 40 were injured. Unit 548 was at the front of the train, unit 461 was at the rear of the train. : *On 27 November 2017, Unit 449 collided with a car on a

level crossing A level crossing is an intersection where a railway line crosses a road, path, or (in rare situations) airport runway, at the same level, as opposed to the railway line crossing over or under using an overpass An overpass (called ...

Morlanwelz Morlanwelz (; wa, Marlanwé) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. On 1 January 2006 Morlanwelz had a total population of 18,595. The total area is 20.26 km2 which gives a population density of 918 inhab ...

and was damaged by the consequent fire. It was the leading unit of a train formed of units 449 and 442. During recovery operations, the unit broke free from the train and ran away, killing two people and seriously injuring two more. After travelling for , it collided at Strépy-Bracquegnies with a passenger train operated by two Class 96s including unit 483. Five people were injured in that collision.

References

{{reflist SNCB multiple units Electric multiple units of Belgium 3000 V DC multiple units 25 kV AC multiple units Bombardier Transportation multiple units