Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/2699 of 27 November 2023 on the TEN-T cross-border railway connections between Brussels and Luxembourg on the North–Sea Mediterranean Core Network Corridor (part of the EuroCap-Rail project) (notified under document C(2023)7384)

• CELEX: Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/2699
• Articles: 5

Article 1 Subject matter

This Decision lays down a description of the actions and the implementation timetable for the cross-border railway project EuroCap-Rail between Brussels and Luxembourg.

Article 2 Actions and timetable

Belgium and Luxembourg shall ensure the timely implementation of the following actions:

On line 161 (Brussels – Namur)

(a)

Watermael – Ottignies: 4-lane upgrading work to increase traffic capacity and speed by December 2026:

—

railway engineering works (tracks, catenaries and signalling) for the renewal of existing tracks and the addition of 2 new tracks between Watermael (included) and Ottignies station (not included) by December 2026.

(b)

Ottignies – Louvain-La-Neuve junction: 4-lane upgrading work to increase traffic capacity and speed by December 2028:

—

Construction of the station platforms to accommodate the renewed tracks by December 2028;

—

Railway engineering works (tracks, catenaries and signalling) for the renewal of tracks in Ottignies station (inclusive) up to the Louvain-La-Neuve junction (inclusive) by December 2028.

(c)

Junction Louvain-La-Neuve to Gembloux: work to increase in traffic speed by December 2028:

—

regularise the track spacing at 2,25 m (currently varying between 2,00 and 2,25 m) by December 2028;

—

replacement or adaptation of engineering structures the gauge of which has become insufficient in view of the increase in speed by December 2028;

—

remediation of the railway track platforms including the treatment of large excavated material with a view to facilitating water drainage and maintenance operations by December 2028;

—

extension and raising of the station platforms of the unmanned stopping points of Mont-Saint-Guibert, Blanmont, Chastre and Ernage by December 2028;

—

revision of the signalling in view of the speed increase by December 2028;

—

re-electrification of the section with a 3kV compound catenary by December 2028.

(d)

Gembloux – Rhisnes: work to increase in traffic speed by December 2027:

—

regularise the track spacing at 2,25 m (currently varying between 2,00 and 2,25 m) by December 2026;

—

replacement or adaptation of engineering structures the gauge of which has become insufficient in view of the increase in speed by December 2026;

—

remediation of the railway track platforms including the treatment of large excavated material with a view to facilitating water drainage and maintenance operations by December 2026;

—

extension and raising of the station platforms of the unmanned stopping points of Lonzée, Beuzet, Saint-Denis-Bovesse, by December 2026;

—

revision of the signalling in view of the speed increase by December 2027;

—

re-electrification of the section with a 3kV compound catenary by December 2026;

—

removal of level crossings 56 and 58 by December 2026.

(e)

Rhisnes – Namur: work to increase in traffic speed by December 2029:

—

regularise the track spacing at 2,25 m (currently varying between 2,00 and 2,25 m) by December 2029;

—

replacement of engineering structures the gauge of which has become insufficient given the increase in speed by December 2029;

—

remediation of the railway track platforms including the treatment to grind rock wall and large excavated material to facilitate water discharge and maintenance operations by December 2029;

—

extension and raising of the station platform of the unmanned stopping point of Rhisnes by December 2029;

—

revision of the signalling in view of the speed increase by December 2029;

—

re-electrification of the section with a 3kV compound catenary by December 2029;

—

construction of a new switching station in Rhisnes by December 2029.

On line 162 (Namur – Luxembourg border)

(a)

Ciney – Haversin: work to increase in traffic speed by December 2027:

—

regularise the track spacing at 2,25 m (currently varying between 2,00 and 2,25 m) by December 2025;

—

replacement of engineering structures whose gauge has become insufficient in view of the increase in speed by December 2025;

—

remediation of the railway track platforms including the treatment to grind rock wall and large excavated material to facilitate water drainage and maintenance operations by December 2025;

—

extension and raising of the station platforms of the unmanned stopping points of Leignon and Chapois by December 2025;

—

installation of new signalling by December 2027;

—

re-electrification of the section with a mixed 3kV/25kV catenary by December 2025;

—

removal of the Leignon and Chapois level crossings by December 2024.

(b)

Haversin – Marloie: work to increase in traffic speed by December 2028:

—

regularise the track spacing at 2,25 m (currently varying between 2,00 and 2,25 m) by December 2028;

—

replacement of engineering structures the gauge of which has become insufficient given the increase in speed by December 2028;

—

remediation of the railway track platforms including the treatment to grind rock wall and large excavated material to facilitate water drainage and maintenance operations by December 2028;

—

extension and raising of the station platform of the Aye unmanned stopping point by December 2028;

—

installation of new signalling by December 2028;

—

re-electrification of the section with a mixed 3kV/25kV catenary by December 2028;

—

rectification of railway curves by December 2027.

(c)

Gare de Marloie: comprehensive redevelopment of the railway infrastructure:

—

upgrading and complete replacement of track infrastructure by June 2025;

—

re-electrification of the section with a mixed catenary 3kV/25kV by December 2025;

—

installation of new signalling by December 2025;

—

extension and raising of the station platforms by December 2026.

(d)

Marloie – Jemelle: work to increase of traffic speed by December 2029.

—

regularise the track spacing at 2,25 m (currently varying between 2,00 and 2,25 m) by December 2029;

—

replacement of engineering structures the gauge of which has become insufficient given the increase in speed by December 2029;

—

remediation of the railway track platforms including the treatment to grind rock wall and large excavated material to facilitate water drainage and maintenance operations by December 2029;

—

installation of new signalling by December 2025;

—

re-electrification of the section with a mixed 3kV/25kV catenary by December 2029;

(e)

Jemelle – Grupont: work to increase of traffic speed by December 2029:

—

regularise the track spacing at 2,25 m (currently varying between 2,00 to 2,25 m) by December 2029;

—

replacement of engineering structures the gauge of which has become insufficient in view of the increase in speed by December 2029;

—

remediation of the railway track platform including the treatment of rock faces and large excavated material to facilitate water drainage and maintenance operations by December 2029;

—

extension and raising of the station platforms of the Forrières unmanned stopping point by December 2029;

—

installation of new signalling by December 2029.

—

re-electrification of the section with a mixed 3kV/25kV catenary by December 2029;

(f)

Grupont – Hatrival: increase of traffic speed by December 2027:

—

regularise the track spacing at 2,25 m (currently varying between 2,00 and 2,25 m) by December 2025;

—

replacement of engineering structures the gauge of which has become insufficient in view of the increase in speed by December 2025;

—

remediation of the railway track platforms including the treatment of rock faces and large excavated material to facilitate water drainage and maintenance operations by December 2025;

—

extension and raising of the station platforms of the unmanned stopping points of Grupont and Poix-Saint-Hubert by December 2025;

—

installation of new signalling by December 2027;

—

re-electrification of the section with a mixed 3kV/25kV catenary by December 2025;

—

rectification of railway curves by December 2025.

(g)

Ciney – Hatrival: voltage switching from 3kV to 25kV by December 2029:

—

installation of a 25kV supply on the Namur – Hatrival section with the construction of a new switching station, a distribution substation and 7 autotransformer substations by December 2029;

—

installation of a new zone of phase separation and new zone of voltage separation by December 2029;

—

adaptation of the current catenary of line 43 to allow 25kV supply from Marloie station to Melreux by December 2029.

On line n°8, Luxembourg

(a)

Construction of a new railway line between Luxembourg and Bettembourg by the end of 2026 with testing, homologation, certification and training by the end 2028:

—

railway track platform works – Livange-Bettembourg section, by September 2025;

—

railway track platform works – Howald-Hesperange section, by August 2025;

—

railway track platform works – Hesperange-Berchem section, by November 2025;

—

finalization of the connection of the new line at Bettembourg station, by November 2026;

—

completion of the connection of the new railway line at Howald station by December 2026;

—

completion of works on the railway line by December 2026.

(b)

Redevelopment of Bettembourg station:

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commissioning of the new signal box at Bettembourg station by December 2026;

—

study of the redevelopment of Bettembourg station by December 2023;

—

start of work at Bettembourg station: 2026;

—

end of work at Bettembourg station: 2033.

Article 3 Reporting

Belgium and Luxembourg shall report at least once a year to the Commission and to the European Coordinator for the North Sea–Mediterranean Core Network Corridor on the progress in implementing the actions referred to in Article 2 and shall notify any delay encountered, specifying the causes for the delay and indicating the corrective measures taken. For this purpose, those Member States may use, when appropriate, the content of the Annual Status Reports to be submitted under the Connecting Europe Facility Grant Agreements.

Article 4 Review

By 31 December 2025 at the latest, the Commission shall, following a request from Belgium and Luxembourg, or at its own initiative, carry out a review of the actions and of the timetable referred to in Article 2, with the assistance of the European Coordinator for the North Sea–Mediterranean Core Network Corridor.

Article 5

This Decision is addressed to the Kingdom of Belgium and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.