A 15th rail transport operator – Luxembourg’s CFL cargo – has been running services on the Belgian rail network since last week, announced Belgian infrastructure manager Infrabel on 22 September.

CFL cargo, created in 2006 as a joint venture between national Luxembourg railway company CFL and steel producer ArcelorMittal, is an active player in the area of cross-border freight transport services. On 15 September the operator carried out its first journey on the Belgian rail network, consisting of a freight train leaving Hagondange, France, for Bressoux, near Liège.

Infrabel now allocates train paths to 15 operators, that is 13 freight transport companies (CFL cargo, CapTrain Belgium, Crossrail Benelux, DB Schenker Rail Nederland, ERS Railways, Euro Cargo Rail, Europorte France, SNCB Logistics, Railtraxx, Rotterdam Rail Feeding, Fret SNCF, Trainsport and PKP Cargo) and two passenger transport companies (SNCB and Eurostar). The Thalys and ICE high speed trains operate under SNCB’s licence in Belgium. Freight transport is fully liberalised on the Belgian railway network, with international passenger transport having been liberalised on 1 January 2010.

(Source: Belga News Agency)