These items come from Line News International ISSN 1354-0947 (c) The Branch Line Society 2002 International Editor: Brian Philp, 11 Arden Street, Edinburgh EH9 1BR, Scotland, UK, rail@rinbad.demon.co.uk
2004
3513][BE][DE] Eupen - Raeren - Roetgen - Lammersdorf - Konzen - Monschau - Kalterherberg - Sourbrodt - Weywertz: (http://www.rinbad.demon.co.uk/be_venn.htm; Ball BE-10A2, DE-37A1) Formerly part of the SNCB/NMBS network, running on a thin ribbon of Belgian territory through Germany, the Vennbahn has since 1990 been a tourist asset in the ownership of Belgium’s German-speaking community based in Eupen. Alas, it saw its last operating season as a heritage railway in 2001. Trains ran approximately fortnightly in spring and weekly during summer and early autumn, mostly as a single round-trip on Sundays only, with occasional Saturday workings. Since one needed to set off from Brussel/Bruxelles before 08:00 to be at Eupen before 10:00 for the tourist train, most Belgians seem to have found the timing too early for a day out. For a while local subsidy helped support what must have been a rather uneconomic operation, but financial problems caught up with the Vennbahn. Repairs needed to the Raeren - Monschau section alone were estimated at EUR1.2M. Summer 2002 saw no trains advertised, and in autumn 2002 the equipment was put up for sale (R.2562). Most of the goods wagons were scrapped but all the locomotives and carriages were sold to other tourist lines, and on 8 November 2003 ‘last trains’ left Raeren conveying historic rolling-stock. (http://www.vennbahn.de) If a reopened Vennbahn were to offer more frequent trains over a shorter section of route, it could maybe one day have a role in bringing Belgian and German visitors to the Naturpark countryside on both sides of the border, but the focus of the German local authorities currently considering public transport into their Eifel National Park is on Dürener Kreisbahn’s scenic Düren - Heimbach branch as a rail component (BLN 799.0166; Ball DE-37B1). Should the closed Vennbahn finally be dismantled, the trackbed could revert to being German territory.
3546][FR][BE] Mont-Saint-Martin Triage SNCF - Y Aubange SNCB: (Ball 17B1) The new southwest-to-northwest curve (R.2907) is to open from 31 March 2004, according to French sources. (Trans-fer, November 2003)
3547][BE] (Oostende - Torhout -) Kortemark - Westrozebeke (- Ieper): (BLN 800.0182; Ball 7A2) This remaining section of NMBS line 63, latterly a long siding serving a military site at Westrozebeke, closed to all traffic from 2 June 2003. (Trans-fer, November 2003)
3548][BE] Antwerpen Centraal: (R.1628, 2280, 3370; Ball 9B3) From the December 2003 timetable-change, the (original) upper level was restored to full use, now with six terminal tracks instead of the former ten. A long atrium or light-well has been created between the two groups of three tracks, allowing natural light through the fine old train-shed roof down to the new tracks still under construction, four terminal platforms at the lower (street) level and four through platforms at the deep (sub-surface) level, the latter due to come into service with the south-north tunnel at the end of 2006. (Trans-fer, December 2003)
3549][BE] Pepinster - Spa - Spa-Géronstère: (Ball 9B1; SNCB 44) Géronstère, terminus of this single-track electrified branch, was renamed Spa-Géronstère on 15 December 2002. Since it had long served the southern part of the town of Spa rather than a separate place, it is perhaps surprising that SNCB/NMBS did not rename it earlier. (Trans-fer, November 2003)
3654][BE] Bruxelles=Brussel - Zaventem - Nossegem - Herent - Leuven - Voroux - Ans - Liège-Guillemins: (Ball 8B2-9B2) Classic main line 36 is being extensively upgraded, and its Brussel - Leuven section is being quadrupled. From the outskirts of the capital at Schaarbeek=Schaerbeek east to Herent, last station before Leuven, the slow tracks (mainly new, but retaining the original line-number 36) are to be on the outside, flanking a pair of fast 200km/h tracks (refurbished and redesignated as line 36N, presumably for Nieuw=Nouvelle). East of Zaventem the platforms of the local stations lie between the fast and slow tracks with faces on the slow lines only (similar to the arrangement on Britain’s East Coast Main Line at Thirsk). In early 2004 trains on much of the route were using the new slow lines while the original tracks were being upgraded, work involving complete removal of track and catenary. Between Zaventem and Nossegem construction was visibly under way on a burrowing junction where the third (north-to-east) side of a future triangle is to trail in from the Brussel-Nationaal-Luchthaven/Bruxelles-National-Aéroport branch line 36C (R.3307). East of Herent another new burrowing junction takes fast line 36N diverging to the south on a new alignment into Leuven (R.1457). Opened 1 June 2003, this section of line 36N was in early 2004 carrying all the trains, and the original alignment of line 36 was temporarily out of use. Leuven station was still being rebuilt, with a fine new overall roof being assembled above the existing canopies. East of Leuven the new high-speed Leuven - Ans line 2 (opened 15 December 2002; R.2679) initially diverges to the south of line 36, though it later crosses line 36 and converges with it from the north in the vicinity of Voroux, but without any physical connection until the west end of Ans station. Little trace remains of the Ans - Ans-Est - Rocourt - Liers line 31, which was wired in the 1970s and had a short-lived electric passenger service but was de-electrified and lifted by March 1997 (BLN 711.07, 800.0184).
The Ans - Liège-Kinkempois freight line 36A diverges south-east to Kinkempois yard, offering an alternative route around the city of Liège (and into Liège-Guillemins station from the east). The 13km formation of line 36A including its several tunnels was created in the 1920s but in the economic depression of the 1930s the track was never laid. However, as war and another German invasion loomed, the Belgian army had placed mines beneath the bridge east of Liège-Guillemins station carrying the Liège - Aachen main line 37 over the river Meuse, and on 31 August 1939 the bridge was accidentally destroyed in an explosion, ironically some time before the feared invasion actually occurred. SNCB assembled resources from all over Belgium and in two hectic weeks laid double track and provided signalling for line 36A, allowing the alternative route to be commissioned on 15 September 1939. (Les lignes nouvelles de la SNCB 1926-96, published by GTF, 1996)
At Liège-Guillemins radical reconstruction continues. Line 34 (Liers - Milmort - Herstal - Liège-Palais - Liège-Guillemins) through the city-centre trails in via a remodelled connection at the north-west end. Some platforms have already been extended to the south-east but in March 2004 serious work had yet to begin on the new passenger building, to be on the north-east side of the line as before. When works are complete in 2006, the whole of Guillemins station will have been relocated c.200-300m to the south-east, closer to the river Meuse.
3656][BE] Antwerpen Centraal: (Ball 9B3) The radically remodelled station has four levels, though only three with tracks (R.3548). Level +1, the original rail level, has the six terminal tracks now in use; level 0 is the street level, with no tracks but a new pedestrian concourse to open in April 2004; level -1, 7m below street-level, has four terminal tracks, to open autumn 2007; and level -2, 18m below street-level, has four through tracks, to open October 2006.
3688][BE] Bruxelles=Brussel - Diegem - Zaventem - Nossegem - Kortenberg - Erps-Kwerps - Veltem - Herent - Leuven (- Liège-Guillemins): (Ball 8B2-9B2) On the quadruple section west of Leuven the platforms of the intermediate stations are all to be islands with faces on both the fast (inner, line 36N) and the slow (outer, line 36) tracks, not just on the slow tracks (R.3654). The new platforms are already in place at Diegem, Zaventem and Herent. Progress is illustrated on the recently-updated website http://www.tgv.be.tf/lgv2/lgv2.html. A diagram there of the future layout shows, west of Herent, the twelve sets of points that will allow movement from any track to any other track in either direction and, east of Herent, the single-track link to be built between line 36 and line 35 (Leuven - Aarschot) which will allow a much faster Brussel - Aarschot journey.
3762][FR][BE][LU] (Longwy -) Mont-Saint-Martin Triage SNCF - Y Aubange SNCB: (R.2907; Ball 17B1) This (part-reinstated, part-new) southwest-to-northwest curve will allow freight trains from France to join the 25kV 50Hz Athus-Meuse line in Belgium without passing through Luxembourg. From a passing train on 23 April 2004 the curve appeared complete though not yet in use, and a notice at Longwy station warned that the curve’s electrification was now live. New pedestrian subways enable passengers to reach all the platforms at Longwy without crossing the tracks on the level, perhaps suggesting that the station may become a staging-point where through international freight trains will change locomotives or crews.
A CFL billet réseau (=day-rover ticket for Luxembourg, price EUR4.80) is valid on cross-border trains (and buses) to Longwy.
3827][FR][BE] (Longwy -) Mont-Saint-Martin Triage SNCF - Y Aubange SNCB: (R.3762; Ball 17B1) Completion of the (part-reinstated, part-new) southwest-to-northwest freight curve has been delayed and it is not expected to come into use before the December 2004 timetable-change.
3828][BE] Antwerpen Berchem - Antwerpen Haven: (OEIS; Ball 8B3) While major works are undertaken on the Antwerpen ring-road, a service of trains for railway and port staff is being augmented and made available to the public. The trains will traverse trackage not normally visited by ordinary passenger services and will terminate at Antwerpen Haven station, in the Antwerpen Noord freight complex serving this major port. Trains run Monday-Friday 14 June - 10 December 2004, with journey-times varying from 17min to 28min, so the actual routes used may also vary. The trains leaving Berchem at 05:28, 13:28 and 21:28 arrive at Haven 1min before departing at 05:46, 13:46 and 21:46. Other departures from Berchem are at 06:59 and 07:27, and other departures from Haven are at 14:25, 15:59, 16:13 and 22:27.
3846][BE] (Antwerpen -) Lier - Wolfstee - Herentals - Mol - Zolder - Hasselt: (Ball 8B3-9A3) To serve the industrial area 1km south-west of Herentals (R.0670), NMBS on 13 June 2004 opened a new Wolfstee halt, presumably near to (or perhaps on the same site as) the Herentals-Kanaal halt which closed 26 September 1993 (along with some thirty other lightly-used stops across Belgium; BLN 716.06). Zolder, also closed 26 September 1993, likewise reopened 13 June 2004.
3874][BE] (Gent -) Wondelgem - Zelzate NMBS (- Sas-van-Gent NS - Sluiskil - Boerengat / Terneuzen): (R.2973; Ball 8A3) The new 10km alignment of NMBS line 55 from Ringvaart in Wondelgem to Avrijevaart in Rieme was to see its first freight trains on Monday 28 June 2004.
3875][BE] Antwerpen Berchem - Antwerpen Haven: (Ball 8B3) The area available for buses and minibuses to wait near Haven station in Antwerpen’s busy docklands constrains the use of this station as the interchange for public transport planned to relieve highway congestion during the June-December 2004 works on the city’s ring-road. NMBS say their Berchem - Haven trains are limited to a maximum of a dozen round-trips a day (R.3828), and they are promoting Antwerpen-Noorderdokken station on the Antwerpen - Rotterdam main line as the principal interchange for public buses and for transport arranged by private firms. All normal ticketing arrangements apply, and fares charged reflect the fact that both Haven and Noorderdokken (= northern docks) lie outside the Antwerpen city tariff zone. Timings and full information (in .pdf format) can be downloaded from http://www.b-rail.be/. Click Dienstregeling, then Brochures dienstregeling, then Aanbod grote steden, then Minder Hinder Antwerpen. (minder hinder = less inconvenience)
3931][BE][FR] Mariembourg - Chimay - Momignies SNCB - Anor SNCF: (Ball 16B3-16A3; SNCB 156) The section used until c.1997 by occasional CFV3V tourist trains is out of use, with at least six level-crossings between Mariembourg and Chimay no longer operational. Traffic from the Carrière de Wallers, a quarry near Momignies in Belgium, is still worked on to the SNCF via Anor (BLN 723.027), so this section remains active as a short cross-border industrial line.
3976][FR][BE] (Charleville-Mézières -) Givet SNCF - Heer-Agimont SNCB - Hastière - Dinant: (Ball 16B2-17A3) Passenger reopening of this international line, reportedly planned for summer 2002, with through Reims - Namur TER regional trains, worked by SNCF X73500 single diesel railcars (R.1130, 2786), has not happened. Has this reopening been abandoned?
3977][BE][LU] Belgium: Train+Tram+Bus day: After the gap in 2003 (R.3130), Belgium again had a TTB day in 2004. From 1-18 September a day-rover ticket for Sunday 19 September was on sale at EUR10 (valid on public transport in Belgium) or EUR13.50 (valid on public transport in Belgium and Luxembourg). Buying the ticket on the day cost an extra EUR2. TTB tickets were not valid on Eurostar, TGV, Thalys or ICE trains, but on other cross-border workings were valid to or from the last station in Belgium/Luxembourg, whether the train stopped there or not.
4003][BE] Gent trams: Sint-Pieters - Maalte - Flanders Expo: (R.0324) On 1 September 2004 De Lijn extended tram line #1 from Gent-Sint-Pieters main rail station south to a provisional stub-terminus at Maalte, just across the southern ring-canal, about 15min walk via Derbystraat to the Flanders Expo exhibition grounds. Derbystraat already displays preparations for tram-tracks to be laid beyond to the future loop terminus beside the exhibition-site’s existing car-park #3. Target-date for through running of trams to Flanders Expo is April 2005. (http://www.lrta.org)
4004][BE] (Mons -) Cuesmes - Hyon-Ciply - Harmignies: (Ball 8A1) The Harmignies freight branch, which appears threatened with closure, saw three passenger trips on 11 September 2004, run by heritage group PFT/TSP from St.Ghislain, reversing in Mons station. The first trip was a photographers’ special, with advance booking required, but the other two carried unbooked passengers for a very modest EUR4, using single diesel railcar #4605. The branch was in surprisingly good condition and allowed rapid progress to Harmignies, which has extensive sidings. The train stopped at the former Harmignies passenger station, just west of the level-crossing. The track beyond appeared very overgrown, but the railcar then confidently set off for c.500m east towards Lobbes before reversing at a buffer-stop. On the return journey the train stopped at Hyon-Ciply station, where local beer and mushrooms were for sale from the back of the building. At both stations platforms were intact, although the buildings appeared to be in private ownership. Back at St.Ghislain, where Patrimoine Ferroviaire Touristique/Toeristisch Spoor Patrimonium have a developing museum, various preserved diesel locomotives and a steam locomotive were offering cab-rides in the sidings parallel to the St.Ghislain - Mons main line.
4032][BE][FR] (Bruxelles - Mons -) Quévy SNCB - Feignies SNCF - Hautmont - Aulnoye-Aymeries: (R.0596; Ball 16A3) This cross-border section may reopen to passengers in May 2005, perhaps with the service from Bruxelles via Mons extended beyond the Belgian border-station of Quévy south to the French junction of Aulnoye-Aymeries. (Rail Passion)
4034][DE] Stolberg Hbf - Stolberg-Altstadt - Breinig - Walheim Grenze (- Raeren SNCB/NMBS) and Stolberg Hbf - Eschweiler Talbahnhof - Weisweiler - Frenz: (Ball 37A1-37B1) On 12 October 2000 Euregio Verkehrsschienennetz GmbH (EVS) took over from DB Netz as the legal Eisenbahninfrastrukturunternehmen (EIU = railway infrastructure undertaking) managing both the northern section of the Vennbahn as far south as the Belgian border (R.1751) and the Eschweiler Talbahnstrecke east as far as the power-station sidings at Frenz (R.4007).
4054][BE][NL] (Antwerpen -) Neerpelt - Hamont NMBS - Budel NS - Weert: (Ball 9B3) After the gap in 2003 (R.2717, 3130) Belgium’s transport authorities decided at a fairly late stage to have a Trein-Tram-Bus day in 2004 (R.3977). Werkgroep Openbaar Vervoer Kempen were not sure until 11 August that the TTB day would in fact go ahead on Sunday 19 September, and so did not have enough time to organise their connecting Neerpelt - Weert Teutenexpres cross-border trains. The Belgian TTB day in mid-September usually coincides with the date of Weert fair in the Netherlands, when the town’s main street fills with stalls and rides. Over the years the Teutenexpres trains have given families living along the route from Antwerpen the chance to visit the fair without using their car. WOVK hope to operate Neerpelt - Weert again in September 2005.
Working is complicated by the commercial stance of NS, who for years have had a policy of discouraging through traffic from Belgium using the Hamont - Budel - Weert route to enter the Netherlands and cross the country at its narrowest point, fearing that this might abstract traffic on other more remunerative NS routes from North Sea ports east to Germany. The Budel - Weert section, inside the Netherlands, has no regular traffic and the points that control the siding into the zinc works at Budel are semi-permanently set in the direction of the main traffic flow into the works. Running toward Weert requires the points to be reset by a NS employee specially sent out by road for this purpose, and NS seem prepared to do this only infrequently.