ETCS rollout Belgium in 2023

Belgium cements ETCS frontrunner status with completion of new project

Belgium is second to only its tiny neighbour Luxemburg in terms of ETCS rollout. 2023, Infrabel

Belgian infrastructure manager Infrabel on Sunday completed the rollout of digital signalling ETCS on the 122-kilometre line between Liège and Namen, the company announces on Tuesday. The project pushes the overall rollout of trackside ETCS across the Belgian main network to 52 per cent, making it the European frontrunner.

During the work on the line between Liège and Namen, Infrabel installed 240 line signals, 1.300 beacons, 40 signal boxes and another 40 GSM-R antennas. The project took three years to complete.

As of March 13, 3.333 kilometres of lines are equipped with the European Train Control System (ETCS) out of a planned 6.399 kilometres. This year, Infrabel expects to rollout the technology across another 670 kilometres of track. In 2022, the infrastructure manager completed 740 kilometres. The current status means only neighbouring Luxemburg has a greater percentage of its network equipped with ETCS (100 per cent).

Infrabel locomotive running with ETCS signalling at Liège station

In Belgium, there has been a flurry of activity. Before the rollout of ETCS Level 2 on the Liège-Namen line, Infrabel in February equipped the 68 kilometres worth of tracks between Kortrijk, Ronse and Oudenaarde with ETCS. This project called for 85 line signals, among other infrastructure.  In December, Infrabel was able to rollout ETCS on 58 kilometres of railway in a single night in Brussels. In late January, the infrastructure manager worked on the installation between. Liège and Leuven.

Rollout ETCS Belgium
Infrabel has another 670 kilometres of rollout planned for this year

Curious about the rail market in Belgium? Have a look at RailTech.be, which is available in both Flemish and French, for our local coverage. Interested in exploring opportunities? Join us in Brussels on June 6-7 for RailTech Belgium, a 1,5-day conference and exhibition. Click here for more information. 

Further reading:

Author: Nick Augusteijn

Chief Editor, RailTech.com

Add your comment

characters remaining.

Log in through one of the following social media partners to comment.