Railway line27-Senne loop: From Elephant to Dorent (13Mi; 21,1km)

This loop of 21.1 km long (half marathon) follows on the one hand as closely as possible the railway line 27 between Weerde over Eppegem to Vilvoorde, and on the other hand it follows the Senne (especially its straightened parts).
The loop is conceived as a trail (unpaved paths), in which some long stretches of asphalt are included (Vilvoorde is a city...).

Because of the natural setting and the historical background that the loop covers, this trip is worthwhile for the hiker (with drinking establishments along the loop in Weerde, Vilvoorde and Eppegem), or athlete who wants to stay out of car traffic.
If 20km is too long: take a shortened northern (with petting zoo), a middle or southern part loop.

By following the railway line27 you will also pass some passing bomb pits in Eppegem. And when following the Senne, in Vilvoorde you go into the bed of a closed Zennemeander, as well as on top of the covered Senne. And in Eppegem you go along the Dorent nature reserve where the Senne used to meander. At the same time as this loop, a whole piece of history in the Weerde - Eppegem - Vilvoorde area is uncovered. A few dates illustrated by the attached POIs:
1835: First train 'de Olifant' on European mainland from Brussels to Mechelen via Vilvoorde (only intermediate stop), Eppegem and Weerde.
1883: construction of Vilvoorde station after the raising of the railway bed between Mechelen and Brussels-North;
1937: Deduplication of the Senne in Weerde with a concrete embedding along the Leibeek (first successful embedding to combat the increasing flooding). The concrete drainage, partly due to swampy area between Eppegem-Zemst and Weerde, is currently called the 'Zennever discount', is paved on the left bank, and on the right bank also for a large part permeable but unpaved. The GPX sends you along the unpaved right bank (trail), but you can also take the paved left bank.
WWII: Origin of the bomb pits by bombing of railway line 27 and barracks Vilvoorde.
1943: Construction of a dock in Vilvoorde at the place where the Tangebeek and Maalbeek flowed into the original Zennemeander. These original Zennemeanders were closed between Vilvoorde and Eppegem, and replaced by a straightened 'canal-Zenne'. At the end of the turning dock there is a hevelogradient to allow the overwater of the Zeekanaal to flow into the straightened Senne.
1975: Roofing Zenne in Vilvoorde (between the original Zennemeander and Zeekanaal, under the viaduct Vuurkruisenlaan (Europabrug Zeenkanaal) towards Grimbergen, to keep ever-increasing stench from the Senne (sewer of Brussels) out of the city center. The indirect result of these liveability-enhancing works in Vilvoorde was an enormously increasing stench in the Senne area north of Vilvoorde (Eppegem-Weerde), as well as a higher Senne water level.
1992: a large part of the Dorent-Nelebroek nature reserve is not redesigned as a flood zone. The Woluwelaan is extended from the Brusselsesteenweg in a large bend to the Burnt Bridge. An industrial zone 'Cargovil' is being built around this (64 ha, mainly container terminals). These works necessitated meter-high ground elevations above the natural level of the Dorent-Nelebroek. Only two original (closed) Zennemeanders remain between Vilvoorde and Eppegem.
(sources including http://www.brusselnieuws.be/nl/nieuws/brussel-mechelen-5-mei-1835-de-eerste-trein-op-het-vasteland and www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/22/240922.pdf )

In Vilvoorde-city, quiet roads are used (rear railway line, through Vilvoorde station, through the Hanssenspark, and over a metal Zenne bridge at the old wood store between the Zeekanaal and the Senne. From this bridge you can also see the Senne covered in Vilvoorde above ground (covered in the 70s by persistent stench from this (then) open sewer of Brussels.

The only place where you really have to be attentive when finding your way is after the parking lot of the Eppegem station, direction Vilvoorde: After the first bomb pit in the field to the left of the roadside, 50m before you reach the high-voltage lines, you have to turn left down the railway embankment between some trees. At the bottom of the roadside is a ditch that is almost always dry; You then follow the ditch southwards for another 10m and then you have to cross a low barbed wire to the grazing meadow where the second bomb pit is located (viewed from Eppegem). When you see the first bomb pit, do not go down the roadside yet, that is 80m too early.

The departure and arrival point of the GPX is at the train station in Weerde (Café De Rut). You can of course start this loop in any other place.

The loop is a varied trail/paved/asphalt trail, most of which is car-free in nature. North of Vilvoorde you go through quiet nature, and in Vilvoorde itself the most quiet (= car-free) and green spots are visited.
Highly recommended.

ps: If you do this loop with dez bike, you will have to get off your bike a few times, and depending on the season, you will have to push a little extra on the pedals (wet or overgrown surface).