Infrabel invests 80 million euros in Alstom rail safety tech
Aiming to enhance rail safety and punctuality, Infrabel, the Belgian railway network manager, has announced an 80 million euro investment. The contract was signed on Monday between Infrabel and Alstom CEOs. Under the terms of...Read more
Belgian train derailed after collision with crane
A drastic accident occurred last night on the Belgian railroad, between Antwerp and Ghent. It involved two passenger trains and an Infrabel crane. Two people were injured, and the damage is extensive.Read more
Winners of the RailTech Innovation Awards announced
RailTech Europe `24After much anticipation, the winners of the RailTech Innovation Award 2024 were announced today during the first day of the RailTech Europe 2024 conference. The award ceremony took place at Rail Tech Europe in the...Read more
LED-lights for level crossings in Belgium
Infrabel, the Belgian rail infrastructure manager, has announced a comprehensive action plan aimed at enhancing safety and punctuality across the railway network. The initiative comes in response to a rise in incidents at level crossings...Read more
Wallonian trains soon to be solar powered
Belgian rail infrastructure manager Infrabel is building the Avernas photovoltaic park adjacent to the “Leuven-Liège” high-speed rail line. Expected to be operational within a year, the park will comprise over 3,800 panels, providing power to...Read more
Number of NMBS/SNCB passengers rises 7 per cent in 2023
In 2023, more than 244 million passengers travelled by train in Belgium, marking a 7 per cent increase compared to 2022, reports the Belgian National Railway Company (NMBS/SNCB). The growth is particularly evident among occasional...Read more
Fewer trains passing red signals on the Belgian rail network
33 fewer trains passed red signals on the Belgian rail network in 2023. The “first potentially dangerous point,” often an intersection with another track, was reached in 17 out of the 54 cases. However, none...Read more
Work progresses on the RER network around Brussels
Work on the Regional Express Network (Réseau Express Régional or RER) is progressing on the two lines to the south-east of Brussels. Ottignies station is undergoing a complete reconfiguration of its facilities, while the L124...Read more
Balde Diao: “Swiss Army Knife” of Infrabel
INTERVIEWAs ‘first technical train driver’, operator of Infrabel’s largest railway crane, and team leader on construction sites, Balde Diao is a true “Swiss Army Knife” who “wouldn’t change his job for anything in the world,”...Read more
Infrabel authorised to borrow up to 1 billion euros
Belgian rail infrastructure manager Infrabel can borrow up to 1 billion euros to complete several priority projects. This amount finalises the financing of the means of the 2023-2032 investment plan granted by the Belgian federal...Read more
Infrabel invests in three new rail security devices
Six years after a terrible train accident in Morlanwelz (Hainaut) that claimed the lives of two track workers and injured five others, Belgian rail infrastructure manager Infrabel presented two safety systems that are new in...Read more
Belgium and Luxembourg to double cross-border rail traffic by 2040
Every day, 45,000 Belgians commute to Luxembourg, and the two countries want to double this number by 2040. On October 3, 2023, Luxembourg’s Minister of Mobility François Bausch and his Belgian counterpart Georges Gilkinet signed...Read more
The increasing impact of heavy rainfall on rail
Climate change adaptation With multiple railways hit by flooding in the past weeks, it becomes more and more visible that extreme rainfall can have a devastating impact on railway infrastructure. What are rail infrastructure managers doing to prepare...Read more