The accident Catastrophe occurred Coming_to_be in snowy conditions at 08:28 CET ( 07:28 UTC ) , during rush hour , on railway line 96 ( Brussels–Quévy ) about 12 kilometers ( 7.5 miles ) from Brussels between `` P-train '' E3678 from Leuven to Braine-le-Comte ( a local rush hour train ) and `` IC-train '' E1707 from Quiévrain to Liège ( an intercity train ) .

On 13 December 2011 , a murder–suicide attack Attack took place Process_start in the city of Liège in the Wallonia region of Belgium .

The German government declared Expressing_publicly war on Belgium on 4 August , troops crossed Motion_directional the border and began Process_start the Battle Hostile_encounter of Liège .

German military operations in Belgium were intended to bring Bringing the 1st , 2nd and 3rd armies into positions in Belgium from which they could invade Attack France , which , after the fall Motion_directional of Liège on 7 August , led to Causation sieges Besieging of Belgian fortresses along the Meuse river at Namur and the surrender Surrendering of the last forts ( 16–17 August ) .

The revolution Change_of_leadership , which occurred Coming_to_be at the same time as revolutions Change_of_leadership in France and Liège , led to Causation the brief overthrow Change_of_leadership of Habsburg rule Control and the proclamation Statement of a short-lived polity , the United Belgian States .

Soon after the outbreak Process_start of the French and Liège revolutions Change_of_leadership , this `` émigré '' army crossed Motion_directional into the Austrian Netherlands and decisively defeated Conquering the Austrians at the Battle Military_operation of Turnhout in October 1789 .