On August 31, 2025, the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) – Belgium commemorated the 190th anniversary of Europe’s first passenger railway with its annual Peace Road event. Participants included UPF members and guests from France’s Département du Nord as well as members and friends from Belgium.
The program began at Schaarbeek railway station, built in 1887 in Neo-Flemish Renaissance style and now part of the Train World Museum. This station lies along Belgium’s first passenger railway line, inaugurated on 5 May 1835, connecting Brussels and Mechelen over 20 km. The line used steam locomotives built at George Stephenson’s workshops, running at an average speed of 30 km/h. Its inauguration drew large crowds and marked a milestone in European railway history. Belgian engineers later contributed to railway projects in China, Latin America, and Europe, including the construction of the Paris Metro line.
UPF co-founder Rev. Sun Myung Moon frequently used trains and railways as metaphors for life, leadership, and spiritual growth. In his teachings, locomotives symbolized strong leadership and personal effort, tracks represented principles and direction, coupled cars reflected communities moving together, and railway junctions illustrated the convergence of different paths toward a common goal. Fuel and motion symbolized inner strength and spiritual energy. His railway imagery emphasized unity, purpose, and forward movement toward a shared destination.
The visit concluded with lunch at the Gare Maritime Food Market, located in the Tour & Taxis complex, once Europe’s largest freight and customs depot. Trains could unload cargo directly into its vast warehouses, making it a key hub in Belgium’s industrial and commercial railway network.
The participants appreciated the pleasure of meeting again, sharing, and propagating the vision behind the Universal Peace Federation, reflecting on the importance of communication to create a peaceful world based on interdependence, mutual prosperity, and universal values.