INFRABEL, Belgium

Infrabel builds, operates and maintains the Belgian rail infrastructure. Its mission is to develop a safe and qualitative railway network for all the trains of tomorrow. Infrabel has set the goal of being one of the safest railway networks in Europe. So since 2009, the European Train Control System (ETCS) is being installed on the national railway network.

In 2010, Infrabel and SNCB launched an ambitious ETCS Masterplan, representing a total investment of no less than 3.8 billion euro (2 billion euro for the trackside). With this plan approved and financed by the Belgian government, the network will be equipped progressively with the European Train Control System (ETCS) till 2025. This Masterplan is based on ETCS1 Full Supervision, ETCS2 Full Supervision and ETCS1 Limited Supervision depending on the interlocking technologies and the line types. At the end of 2020, more than 1800 kilometres of main lines were equipped with this technology. Further details can be found on the Infrable website in Dutch ETCS Infrabel or French ETCS Infrabel.

ERTMS DEPLOYMENT

High speed lines:

In 2009, Infrabel realized the completion of its high speed lines network between Brussels and Germany, Brussels and The Netherlands, Brussels and France. Belgium became the first European country where its borders were connected with high-speed lines.

The high speed lines network in Belgium is composed of 4 lines. The 2 last commissioned lines were directly equipped with ETCS.

Line Brussels – France Border (line L1)

  • Length of the line: 70 km
  • Date of commissioning: 1995
  • Line equipped with TVM (national French system). Discussions are started with SNCF Réseau to define a migration plan to ETCS.

Line Leuven-Ans (Liège) (line L2)

  • Length of the line: 64 km
  • Date of commissioning: 2002
  • Line equipped with TBL2 (national system) which has been migrated to ETCS level 1  (300 km/h) at the end of 2017. ETCS Baseline: b2.3.0d. TBL2 has been decommissioned at the end of 2018.

Line Liège – German Border (Line L3)

  • Length of the line: 42 km
  • Date of commissioning: 2009
  • ETCS Level used on the line: ETCS level 2 (300 km/h) with Fall back ETCS level 1 (160 km/h), without line side signalling. ETCS Baseline : 2.2.2+.

Line Anvers – Netherlands border (Line L4)

  • Length of the line: 40 km
  • Date of commissioning: 2007
  • ETCS Level used on the line: ETCS level 2 (300 km/h) with Fall back ETCS level 1 (160 km/h), without line side signalling. ETCS Baseline : 2.2.2+.

Rail freight corridor

“Corridor 2” between Antwerp, Basel and Lyon

This freight corridor is crossing Belgium from the North (harbour of Antwerp) to the South (Arlon, at the border with France and Luxembourg). This corridor is now fully equipped with ETCS. The migration to ETCS was executed via more than 17 partial projects.

  • Length of this corridor in Belgium: 450 line km, 1600 signals with ETCS
  • Date of commissioning: first partial project commissioned in 17/12/2012, last partial project end 2015
  • ETCS Level used on the line: ETCS level 1 Full Supervision, b2.3.0d, with lineside signalling
  • This corridor includes 4 main stations with ETCS (Leuven, Antwerpen, Namur and Ottignies). Two are fully equipped with ETCS, the other two are partially equipped with ETCS (only the freight axis crossing the station)

Conventional Networks:

Part ETCS1 Full Supervision

Line 36 / 36 N between Brussels and Leuven

  • Length of the line: 28 km (4 tracks)
  • Date of commissioning: 03/2012
  • ETCS Level used on the line: ETCS level 1 Full Supervision, b2.3.0d, (200 km/h) with lineside signalling (160 km/h)

The Diabolo railway connection and the new railway line 25N between Schaarbeek and Mechelen

  • Zone around the Airport of Zaventem
  • Date of commissioning: 06/2012
  • ETCS Level used on the line: ETCS level 1 Full Supervision, b2.3.0d, with lineside signalling.

 Ans-Liège-Angleur

  • Length of the line: +/- 15 km (with a big station)
  • Date of commissioning: 12/2017
  • ETCS Level used on the line: ETCS level 1 Full Supervision, b2.3.0d
  • This project allows trains to run in ETCS from the German border to Brussels

Infrabel also gives priority to the main international freight axis that crosses Belgium. The installation of ETCS allows interoperability for international freight trains and increases safety of all other trains.

The Liefkenshoek rail connection.

It connects the left bank with the right bank of the Antwerp harbour with a tunnel under the Schelde:

  • Length of the line: 16 km
  • Date of commissioning: 12/2014
  • ETCS Level used on the line: ETCS level 1 Full Supervision, b2.3.0d, with lineside signalling.

According to the ETCS Masterplan, Infrabel is continuing to roll-out ETCS1 FS on different main lines (see map here above).

Part ETCS2 Full Supervision

The deployment of ETCS2 on the conventional network has started. The first pilot line has been commissioned.

Line Diksmuide-De Panne (line 73)

  • Length of the line: 30 km
  • Date of commissioning: 07/2018
  • ETCS Level used on the line: ETCS level 2 Full Supervision, SRS 3.4.0, with functions b2.3.0d (SV 1.X), with lineside signalling.

The roll-out has now started.

Part ETCS1 Limited Supervision

The first pilot lines of ETCS1 Limited Supervision have been commissioned at the end of 2020. A first in the EU!

Line Charleroi-Couvin (line 132-134)

  • Length of the line: 59 km
  • Date of commissioning: 10/2020
  • ETCS Level used on the line: ETCS level 1 Limited Supervision, b3.4.0, with lineside signalling

Line Gavere-Oudenaarde (line 86)

  • Length of the line: 14 km
  • Date of commissioning: 10/2020
  • ETCS Level used on the line: ETCS level 1 Limited Supervision, b3.4.0, with lineside signalling

Contracts

The ETCS1 Full Supervision and Limited Supervision Trackside programs are based on equipment supplied via 2 contracts: the first one launched in 2006 with Siemens (LEU/balises for 4000 signals) and the last one launched in 2011 with Alstom (LEU/balises for 4000 extra signals).

The ETCS2 deployment is ensured via a turn-key contract awarded in 2015 by Siemens. It also contains Interlocking renewing.

CLASS B STATUS AND PERSPECTIVE

Infrabel installs systems that support the train driver. There are three different ATP (Automatic Train Protection) systems in Belgium, which are designed in such a way that they can operate together perfectly.

  • Memor-crocodile, since the 30’s
  • TBL1, since the 80’s
  • TBL1+, since 2005

The TBL1+ system is the most recent and most secure ATP system. Since end 2015, all the main railway nodes are equipped with TBL1+.

The equipment used for TBL1+ is compatible with the ETCS system. The TBL1+ information is included in the Packet 44 available in the ETCS specification. So it concerns a sustainable investment, because changing from TBL1+ to ETCS 1 Full Supervision and Limited Supervision often demands only an adaptation in the balise and LEU’s configuration.

TBL1+ is likely required in the train fitted with ETCS for some time to allow continue operation on lines not yet equipped with ETCS. In that case, the TBL1+ is implemented as a STM system. In trains not yet equipped with ETCS (the oldest one), the TBL1+ is implemented as a separated ATP system.

The older ATP systems TBL1 and Crocodile will be removed progressively in the next years on lines equipped with ETCS.

OTHER

Provisional train fitment programme

In commercial Service:

Railcar type: DMU

  • Model : AM08 Desiro
  • Quantity: 305
  • Fitment type: ETCS Level 1, b2.3.0.d
  • Year: 2011–2016
  • Supplier: Siemens
  • Model: AM-AR
  • Quantity: >500
  • Year : 2020-2023
  • Fitment type: retrofitment with installation ETCS Level 1/2, baseline 3.4.0
  • Supplier: Alstom

Railcar type: High Speed Train

  • Model : Thalys
  • Fitment type: ETCS Level 1/2, b2.2.2+
  • Year: 2007
  • Supplier: Ansaldo
  • Model : Velaro E
  • Fitment type: ETCS Level 1/2, b2.2.2+
  • Year: 2018
  • Supplier: Ansaldo
  • Model : ICE3
  • Fitment type: ETCS Level 1/2, b2.3.0.d
  • Supplier : Siemens (ETCS – Alstom)

Railcar type: Locomotive

  • Model : HLE18-19
  • Quantity: 120
  • Year : 2010 — 2014
  • Fitment type: ETCS level 1/2, b2.3.0.d
  • Supplier: Siemens
  • Model: HLE13
  • Quantity: 15
  • Year : 2020
  • Fitment type: retrofitment with installation ETCS Level 1/2, b3.4.0
  • Supplier: Alstom
  • Model: TRAXX
  • Quantity: x
  • Year : 2018
  • Fitment type: installation ETCS Level 1/2, b2.3.0d
  • Supplier: Bombardier

Railcar type: Coach

  • Model : HVM6Bx (Pilot Car M6 double-deck) + I11B
  • Quantity: 64 + 21
  • Year : from 2015
  • Fitment type: ETCS level 1/2, b2.3.0.d
  • Supplier: Alstom

Planned

 Railcar type: M7

  • Fitment type: new, with ETCS Level1/2, baseline 3.4.0
  • Year: 2021-2023
  • Supplier: Alstom

The existing b2.3.0d on-board units will be migrated to baseline 3 (allowing ETCS1 Limited Supervision). A precise planning has to be defined.