Fifteen years after the fatal Buizingen train disaster, all the main tracks of Belgium’s rail network are now equipped with the safety system ETCS.
The European Train Control System (ETCS) continuously monitors train speeds and automatically intervenes if a train exceeds its allowed speed. Its rollout over the past decade cost approximately €2.8 billion.
The push to implement such safety systems was intensified following the 15 February 2010 Buizingen accident, which claimed 19 lives.
Belgium’s 6,399 kilometres of main railway tracks now feature ETCS, which involved installing over 48,000 beacons on the tracks and equipping more than 11,000 signals with the system, according to rail network operator Infrabel.
However, the system only functions if train carriages are also fitted with ETCS technology. The SNCB-NMBS railway operator expects its entire fleet to be equipped by the end of this year.
By the end of 2027, only ETCS-equipped trains will be allowed to operate in Belgium.
