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Mobility and Transport

Belgium

There are three corridors running across the Belgian network:

  • Rhine-Alpine corridor, from the ports of Antwerp and Zeebrugge to the German border, via Liege and Gent.
  • North Sea-Mediterranean corridor, from the French and Dutch border to Luxembourg, via Gent and Brussels.
  • North Sea-Baltic corridor, from the Zeebrugge port to the Dutch and German borders, via Gent, Antwerp and Liege.

Infrastructure Managers

Infrabel has the role of manager of the Belgian railway network infrastructure. This network has a part which belongs to the Core Network Corridors, including over 1,250 km.

Information regarding the Belgian network and its features can be found at:

National implementation plan

The Belgian National Implementation Plan (NIP) was delivered in 2017. It is fully compliant with the ERTMS European Deployment Plan.

According to the Belgian NIP:

  • The network will have mixed ERTMS levels; some lines will be equipped with ERTMS Level 1, such as the Bruxelles – Leuven line, and others with ERTMS Level 2, such as the Halle – Rijsel high-speed line.
  • Belgium has different Class B decommissioning plans depending on the specific Class B system:
    • Memoir/Crocodile will be decommissioned in lines equipped with ETCS Level 1 and TBL1+ from the end of 2016.
    • TBL1 will be taken out of service when commissioning ETCS in Halle-Brussels South.
    • TBL1+ will be maintained as a Class B system only on non-TEN-T lines.
    • TBL2 will be limited to high-speed line 2 by the end of 2017.
    • TVM430 will be replaced with ETCS Level 2 by 2029.

National Implementation Plans (NIP) country by country

National Safety Authority

The Safety Service and Interoperability of Railways (SSICF) is the Belgian NSA. The SSICF was created following the transposition of the 2nd European Union package to Belgian law, which aims to increase the safety aspect and interoperability of the Community’s railways. The NSA is by nature independent of any IM or RU. To ensure this independence, SSICF was recently placed under the direct authority of the Secretary of State for Mobility.

Section dedicated to ERTMS in the Vehicle Owners practical information framework.