Renovation work on the Liège-Leuven high-speed line is set to cause disruptions to train traffic until 17 August, the infrastructure operator, Infrabel, announced on Tuesday.
Some InterCity (IC) trains and those bound for Germany are being diverted onto the conventional line, resulting in a journey time that is extended by 25 minutes.
The first phase of the modernisation of the HSL, used daily by 80 trains, will continue until 2026, with work being carried out 24/7 for 16 consecutive days and nights. A total of 40,000 new sleepers, which support the rails, will be installed.
The second phase is scheduled between 2028 and 2031, with the entire operation costing €59 million.
Infrabel is deploying a 700-metre-long, 1,600-tonne Swietelsky train on this site, a rare appearance in Belgium as it’s only the third time it has been used in the country. This equipment separates the rails, lifts the sleepers, and vacuums the ballast for filtering. It then levels the ground, places the new sleepers, distributes the cleaned ballast, and replaces the rails, capable of renewing two kilometres of track or 3,600 sleepers per day.
Additionally, Infrabel continues renovating the HSL between Brussels and the French border this summer. Rail traffic will be halted between Hal and Silly from 16 to 31 August for track renewal and the replacement of two switches.
Eurostar and TGV INOUI trains will be rerouted on the conventional line, adding approximately 15 minutes to the journey between Brussels and Lille.
