The Silliest Station in the World!

[@QuarioQuario54321]

“We’re in Silly” -Ben Doyle, in Jet Lag: The Game

[@nathantransitj]

I’ve never actually watched Jet Lag. I didn’t know there was a segment in Silly.

[@roye7777777]

The bus stop in the centre of Silly is called 'Silly Place', which indeed makes it a silly place.

[@ThibaultLapers]

Hey Nathan, concerning the quadrilingual announcement, it is probably because it was a train going to Brussels Airport which is indeed announced in the 4 languages

[@nathantransitj]

Ohh! That makes sense! It’s cool how the destination changes the number of languages.

[@cubethecuber659]

And if you are in brussels they announce them in 2 languages

[@JV1991]

​@@nathantransitjin Flanders, only the Flemish language (Dutch variant) is allowed. In Wallonië, only French. Brussels and some facility communities are obligated French and Flemish. So you either respect this or you are obligated to make announcements in the four languages you've mentioned. As said by the person above, a train to (or from) the airport may use the 4 languages all the time.

[@bahnspotterEU]

@@cubethecuber659 No, there are quadrilingual announcements in Brussels too, I heard them myself.

[@barvdw]

​@@bahnspotterEU quadrilingual announcements are made for international trains (IC to Amsterdam, I to Luxembourg, ICE to Frankfurt, Eurostar...), as well as trains serving Brussels Airport. That includes trains coming from the airport, even if they are just regular trains from Brussels. That's why world cities such as Landen, Knokke, De Panne... get quadrilingual announcements, where near-border stations like Kortrijk don't...

[@tonguepiercing]

Congratulations to have found one of the few remaining Belgian station buildings with functional toilets !

[@jacquesmertens3369]

There's dozens of villages that have names similar to Silly because they are derived from the same Germanic/Saxon word "seli", which means "settlement". You already mentioned Zullik and Opzullik. There's a medium-sized town called Zele, and then there's a long list of villages that end in "zele" or "zeel". The nearby town of Zellik/Soignies is special in the sense that the Flemish version has the Germanic "seli" origin in its name, whereas the French name Soignies has both Celtic and Roman origins that refer to the nearby river Zenne/Senne. You may not think much of the village of Silly, but remember you're standing at a very central point in Europe, at the crossroads of major trading routes. One of the major Roman routes is still visible nearby. It's the road called Chaussée Brunehault that crosses the N57 between Silly and Soignies in Masi. You can still follow this road all the way from Ternat/Asse in the north to Bavay in France, and further south west.

[@SeaBassTian]

I like all the country paths that lead you into the city center, wish we had more of that here in the USA. Also love all the silly puns!

[@nathantransitj]

I love these paths too!

[@virtualize7409]

Suuuuuper interesting video! And indeed, the €35/€18 NMBS/SNCB ticket is a steal! By the way, that parking lot is actually huge in comparison to most stations of that size. It's amazing how you do so much research and put in all of the fun facts!

[@nathantransitj]

Thanks for the context on the size of the parking lot. I wonder if it needs to be as big as it actually is. I assume/hope that during the winter working week it gets packed.

[@barvdw]

It's quite a popular station, the area is rural, but Belgian rural is still quite densely populated, and this is the closest station for a bunch of communities that are just a bit too far away from the station to walk it or cycle (and you've seen the cycling and pedestrian infrastructure...) Even for a few places with a station (Lessines...), it's an interesting alternative for commuters to Brussels, as their station is on a line veering away from Brussels (between Geraardsbergen and Ath), or because they get later trains (my colleague lives in Geraardsbergen and drives to Silly or Enghien/Edingen, as it gives him 2 trains an hour, and trains arriving before 6am or returning after 10pm). It also helped that it was the only station parking with free parking (until this year...)

[@yaush_]

I’m so happy that transit videos are making it out of the US 🗣️🗣️ I recently moved to France and I constantly think about the potential it has for transit videos but no one makes them. Part of me feels like it just because Western European transit agencies run so well all the time it’s not exciting. It’s like being super hyped for the DOT to pave a random road when a European rail agencies improves service. Whereas in the US it’s actually really awesome every time.

[@f.g.9466]

There are lots of people making videos about trains and transit in Europe.

[@yaush_]

@@f.g.9466 that’s 100% true and I’m subscribed to some. But there seem to be many more American KZbinrs

[@qjtvaddict]

@@f.g.9466even Russia too and many Asian countries other than China and Japan

[@im0rtalpunk]

Fun fact: they changed the course of the tracks in the 80s so the station used to be more in the centre and Bassilly used to have its own station too. They did so as a preparation for the High speed line. Also it's Zullik and Opzullik in Dutch because of how it's seen from Flanders.

[@unluckyL]

convinced to visit this town after watching this

[@davysw]

definitely the last place I'd expect a comment from unlucky lmao

[@PTB_BE]

I am an engineer that drives with the double deck hauled trains on the line serving Silly. The station of Silly is actually "new" and only exists since the 80s. Before that there was an old section of line between Ath and Edingen serving Bassilly, however that section was very bendy and "slow". In the 80s, when they started construction of the high speed line, they decided to rebuild the line and have it also serve as a devition line for the high speed network (there are 2 connections between the HSL and line 94 between Silly and Ath). Of the old route between Ath and Edingen you only have a small industrial line left between Ath and Ghislenghien. Silly is set-up as a commuter station. The parking lot is pretty huge and serves as a Park&Ride. Most of the people take the train to Brussels, hence why platform 2 is so barren (since people only get of the train there and walk back to their cars/bikes/bus connection). Regarding the languages: chances are you heard an announcement for a train connecting to the aiport, those are announced in 4 different languages. Hope youre having fun in Belgium, and if you were on an IC between Kortrijk and Sint-Niklaas to get to Silly, then chances are you could have been on a train I drove

[@pascalquivy5786]

I came here for this comment.

[@nathantransitj]

Hi again! It was a pleasure meeting you today at the Stoomtrein. Thank you for all the fun facts!

[@PTB_BE]

@@nathantransitj you're welcome. I hope you had a great time, and yeah: it was great meeting you! If you have ever any questions regarding belgium, being is bus/train/tram/metro related: let me know.:) Now where to post the selfie? :p

[@benjaminthomas776]

announcements are usually made in French for Wallonia and Dutch for Flanders (even the display changes between regions on some trains) , but they do it on both languages in Brussels and in 4 if it's an international train or a train heading towards the Airport

[@jimroberts3651]

There is a brewery in Silly that brews silly beer. I understand from beer aficionados that their products are excellent - apart from a pink beer that is brewed especially for 1 April.

[@timchromecast]

They produce some good beer. There's a nice hike that starts at the church of Graty (part of Silly), "Au gré des champs et des bois", gpx available on the net.

[@fabiendumont9948]

14 minutes and 41 seconds just about the Silly's train station, all in perfect English, bravo Nathan! Not boring at all, I watched it untill the end...

[@YourCopilotWT]

Love it when you make videos in my home country! Keep it up

[@tommarino1056]

Interesting and enjoyable video.

[@nathantransitj]

Thanks!

[@nebsu_]

Are you back in belgium for a while longer? Always happy to see you make videos about transit in my adopted homeland 😁

[@bahnspotterEU]

Looks like the quintessential Belgian (or at least Walloon) experience. The towns there just can’t help but be a bit decrepit. My favourite silly station name in Belgium is actually in Flanders, on the line from Brussels to Leuven: it’s called “Erps-Kwerps”, absolutely comical! Maybe a candidate for a second part 😂

[@nathantransitj]

If I don’t make a part two, I’ll definitely try to visit Erps-Kwerps while I’m here lol!

[@maartenlaureyssen3107]

​​@@nathantransitjYou can also take the bus from Erps-Kwerps Erps Kerk to Erps-Kwerps Erps Kerk 😂 (and if you want something more interesting, you can visit Leuven)

[@nathantransitj]

I passed by Erps Kwerps the other day. I didn’t get off because it looked identical to all the other stations on the line lol.

[@Pro_Gamer6o]

u just earned a sub from belguim! and im born in belguim!⬛🟨🟥

[@SIMPYbe]

The field at 12:00 is flax. The fibers are used in dollar bills, among other things.

[@tgv3000]

Nathan est super sympa.

[@robinetletoilefilante]

I really loved your video! :) continue like that nathan and it’s a funny and cool concept! ;)

[@nathantransitj]

Thank you!

[@iamzuckerburger]

Your content a banger 🎉and ur jokes are funny and I appreciate all of it. Keep it up!

[@BMichel89]

Awesome video Nathan! That walkway was really bright, I would have needed sunglasses (Autism thing), Nathan you should have worn some too 😂😎

[@maartenlaureyssen3107]

Never knew I needed such an in-depth review of Silly station, but I'm not disappointed!

[@im0rtalpunk]

My dad lives there. I used to take the train from Mechelen to there one week on two and walk another 3 km to the centre where he lived because the bus service sucks so much in Wallonia. I took the bus like twice and then lost my pass anyway.

[@SuprToe]

Fun episode! Wish “turn to the left” was a running gag.

[@barvdw]

One little nitpicky correction, this station is a lot younger than 1866. This is because this part of the line 94 was rerouted in the 1980s, away from the winding line through Bassilly, Ghislenghien, etc. Until a few years, part of the old line was still in use as a freight-only stub, but it hasn't seen much traffic in recent years.

[@target_667]

8:00 The bricks are most likely a water-permeable parking lot

[@delibakerytravel]

That 🚄 train was super fast. We can dream for that in the state's??😢

[@robertwilloughby8050]

You should go the sound of getting punched in the stomach.... Eu. It's on the English Channel coast near Dieppe. It used to have a direct connection to Paris, but it was closed in the 1930's, I think.

[@liamtahaney713]

Hmm its strange the announcements would be in 4 languages. More likely is the train was to the airport, and that was why it was 4 languages. This is true in most of Belgium. This is indeed a very large parking lot for a belgian station.

[@CouldBeMathijs]

Yeah, the only thing I've ever heard announced in a language other than Dutch in my local station, was when saying: "Beware of pickpockets, keep your valuables in sight at all times!", which was tetralingual.

[@nathantransitj]

Yes, it was most likely an airport train. Another comment also backs this up. I find the whole language situation across the SNCB/NMBS network fascinating!

[@TheLowSnow]

The town also has a Dutch name btw, "Opzullik".

[@sammymarrco2]

Such a silly video, cool to see how connected European small towns can be (other than the sad bus).

[@bahnspotterEU]

It‘s surprisingly common for small towns here to have better public transport connections to big cities by train than to their neighbouring villages by bus. Definitely exists in Germany, France and I‘m pretty sure Poland too.

[@crisp8432]

Here's a Video idea, how about you ride all the S Trains sorta like a Speedrun?

[@nathantransitj]

That’s a great idea. I did want to ride on the S-trains and timing myself adds some “spice” to the video. Thanks :)

[@cloverisfan818]

Who's from Jet Lag or Max Fosh?

[@pharmacist5884]

Ministry of Silly Walks

[@Drago1995]

shows the time table and a bunch of late trains typical NMBS lol, oh you can still use the Youth Holydays after your 26th Birthday you just have to buy it when your still 25 xD

[@nathantransitj]

Actually all the “late trains” were delayed by only 1min due to what I assume is a scheduling issue.

[@Ksandur]

How you managed to talk about Silly for 14 minutes is... well pretty silly

[@nelekempenaers4831]

Hallo ik kom uit België dubbeldekker is m7

[@teecefamilykent]

Those puns are terrible lol lol.

[@delijnspotter]

dutch name is Opzullik

[@syntric]

congratulations on being able to make a 15 minute video on a completely uninteresting station in the middle of nowhere :-)

[@tunxlaw]

I dislike ticket machines, I prefer pretty girl attendants. also why doesn't someone just invent e-ink displays for public electronic signage.

[@kokosnoten]

Belgian stations are terrible 😬

[@BsBsBock]

French is the worst language