The project to install ETCS (European Train Control System) in Namur station, which began in May 2014, is drawing to a close. With almost 500 balises installed, Namur is set this summer to become the first major Belgian station endowed with ETCS, the European system which continuously controls train speeds. Though the associated improvement in safety is of a piece with work to install the system along one of Europe’s major freight corridors, it will also benefit passengers.
An exceptional worksite – no traffic disruptions
The balises (rectangular transponders measuring approximately 30 cm by 50 cm) which have been being installed between the tracks of Namur station since May 2014 are only the tip of the iceberg. The information exchanged between the trackside balises and the onboard receivers enables train speeds to be monitored and, if necessary, adjusted in the light of various parameters: signal aspects, traffic levels, etc.
In the space of a few months, technicians have installed around 30 km of cabling in new cable troughs.
Namur – a major junction
Located at the confluence of five main lines (Ottignies/Brussels to the north, Liège to the east, Charleroi/Mons/Tournai to the west, and Luxembourg and Dinant/Athus to the south) Namur is one of the Belgian rail network’s major hubs, with 380 passenger trains stopping or passing through daily. Add to this an average of 55 freight convoys, since Namur is located on one of the key European freight corridors: the “North Sea/Mediterranean” Corridor linking the port of Antwerp with southern Europe.
This was one of the major reasons why Namur was a priority for ETCS installation. Because, above and beyond its undeniable safety benefits, ETCS technology is interoperable.
That said, passenger rail services will also benefit from this technological development, with some 100 SNCB Desiro trains running through Namur in ETCS mode daily. All SNCB trains are set to migrate to ETCS by 2023.
As of 31 December 2014, over 37% of the SNCB fleet was fitted with ETCS (including 21% with active ETCS). Drivers, of course, have been trained to use the new technology, mainly on simulators.
New European record
This achievement marks another European record for Infrabel: the extra 39 km of ETCS-enabled lines (the station and surrounds) brings the total continuous section on which trains can operate under ETCS to 179 km – or the distance from Namur to Athus. Once the system is commissioned, Belgium will have 938 km of ETCS-equipped infrastructure, representing 14% of main lines on the network.
In budget terms, the project now wrapping up represents investment of around €6 million, on top of the €24.7 million already spent on ETCS roll-out between Namur and the border with Luxembourg. In the course of five years, Infrabel will thus have allocated over €30 million – half of which was funded by the EU – to make the corridor a flagship for railway safety.
(Source: Infrabel)
