Transport in Belgium

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This article is about transportation in Belgium.

Contents

[edit] Railways

Main article: Rail transport in Belgium

Total of 3536 kilometres, (2563 km double track (1998)), of which 2950 km are electrified, mainly at 3000 volts DC and 351 km at 25 kV 50 Hz AC (2004) and all on standard gauge of 1.435 m. In 2004 the NMBS/SNCB carried 178,4 million passengers a total of 8676 million passenger-kilometres. NMBS/SNCB is the National Railway Company of Belgium.

Due to the high population density, operations are relatively profitable, so tickets are cheap and the frequency of services is high. The NMBS/SNCB is permanently updating its rolling stock.

The network currently includes two high speed lines suitable for 300 km/h traffic: HSL 1 runs from just south of Brussels to the French border, where it continues to Paris and Lille (and London beyond that), HSL 2 runs from Leuven to Liège. HSL 3 will run from Liège to the German border near Aachen and HSL 4 will run from Antwerpen to Rotterdam (in The Netherlands). HSL 4 and HSL 3 are currently under construction and will be ready in April 2007 and at the end of 2007 respectively. Both lines are equipped with ERTMS (ETCS level 2 + GSM-R, access and fall-back in level 1).

Electrification is at 3 kV DC, with the exception of the new high-speed lines, and of two recently electrified lines in the south of the country which are at 25 kV AC.

Trains, unlike road traffic, run on the left.

[edit] Rail links with adjacent countries

  • All adjacent countries use the same 1.435 m gauge.
  • Netherlands - different voltage 3 kV DC/1500 V DC. The change of voltage occurs at the border; 3 kV Belgian trains can proceed under reduced power to the first station past the border (Roosendaal or Maastricht). Border crossings are at:
  • Germany - different voltage 3 kV DC/15 kV AC. The change of voltage occurs in Aachen station where there is a switchable track so that 3kV monovoltage trains can reach Aachen. Border crossings are at:
    • Welkenraedt
    • Kelmis-Hergenrath (includes high speed traffic on the upgraded line)
    • Losheimergraben, Raeren, Gemmenich (freight only).
    • Steinebrück (closed),
  • Luxembourg - different voltage 3 kV DC/25 kV AC. The change of voltage occurs in Luxembourg station; the section from the border to Luxembourg is at 3 kV DC. Border crossings are at:
    • Arlon-Sterpenich, Gouvy
    • Lengeler, Benonchamps, Lommersweiler (closed)
  • France - different voltage 3 kV DC/25 kV AC. The change of voltage occurs at the border, except for the high-speed line which is 25 kV throughout. Border crossings are at:

[edit] Metros and Light Rail

See also: Trams in Europe

In Belgium an extensive system of tram-like local railways called Vicinal or Buurtspoor lines crossed the country in the first half of the XIXth century, and had a greater route kilometre length than the main-line railway system. The only survivors of the Vicinal system are the Kusttram and some sections of the Charleroi metro. Urban tram networks exist in Antwerp, Ghent and Brussels, and are gradually being extended.

Metro systems in cities:

Light rail systems in cities:

Other lines:

  • Kusttram, covering almost the entire coast from France to the Netherlands - the longest tram line in the world. Operated by De Lijn.

Some heavy metro infrastructures were built in Brussels, Antwerp and the Charleroi area, but these are currently used by light rail vehicles, and their conversion to full metro is not envisaged at present due to lack of funds.

[edit] Roads

  • total: 149,018 km (2002)
  • highways: 1,729 km
  • regional roads: 12,610 km
  • others: 134,679 km

[edit] Highways

Main article: List of motorways in Belgium

The highways in Belgium are marked with a letter A and a number. Most often however the European numbering system for the international E-road network is used. There is however not always a one-on-one relationship between the two numbering systems along the whole length of the highways.

[edit] Ringways

The ringways (or orbital roads) around bigger cities have their own series of numbers. The names start with a R then a first digit indicating the (old) province, and sometimes a second digit to further differentiate in between different ringways.

Some major examples are:

  • R0 is the outer ringway around Brussels. The R20 and R22 are (parts of) inner ringways around Brussels.
  • R1 is the southern half ringway and R2 is the northern half ringway around Antwerp.
  • R3 is the outer ringway and R9 is the inner ringway around Charleroi. The inner ring is counterclockwise-only.
  • R4 is the outer ringway and R40 is the inner ringway around Ghent.
  • R6 is the outer ringway and R12 the inner ringway around Mechelen.
  • R8 is the outer ringway and R36 is the inner ringway around Kortrijk.
  • R23 is the ringway around Leuven.
  • R30 is the inner ringway around Bruges.

[edit] National roads

The national roads are marked with a letter N and a number.

The principal national roads fan out from Brussels, numbered in clockwise order:

Secondary national roads intersect these.

National roads have an N plus 1, 2 or 3 digits. National roads numbered with 3 digits are provincial roads, their first number indicating the province:

[edit] Waterways

2,043 km (1,532 km in regular commercial use)

[edit] Pipelines

Crude oil 161 km; petroleum products 1,167 km; natural gas 3,300 km

[edit] Ports and harbours

[edit] Sea ports

2003 unloaded loaded total
Total volume in tonnes 77,596,356 65,278,156 142,874,512
Container volume in TEU 2,642,338 2,803,100 5,445,437
Barge traffic in tonnes 33,990,726 42,623,875 76,614,601


2004 unloaded loaded total
Total volume in tonnes 83,109,485 69,217,080 152,326,565
Container volume in TEU 2,946,297 3,117,450 6,063,746
Barge traffic in tonnes 35,969,512 45,969,918 81,939,430


2005 unloaded loaded total
Total volume in tonnes 87,077,092 72,977,273 160,054,365
Container volume in TEU 3,150,351 3,331,678 6,482,029
Barge traffic in tonnes 38,081,664 46,219,052 84,300,716
Rail traffic in tonnes 8,153,297 15,158,425 23,311,722
Source: Antwerp Port Authority

[edit] Main inland ports

Brussels - Port of Brussels [5] (also accessible for ocean-going ships)
Liège - Port of Liège [6] (one of the busiest in Europe)

[edit] European portuary context

European Sea Ports Organisation ESPO
European Federation of Inland Ports FEPI
Inland Navigation Europe INE
2002 ranking of world ports by tonnage and by container volume (in TEU) Port ranking

[edit] Merchant marine

Flag of BelgiumStatistics for the Shipping Industry of Belgium
Total: 66 ships (1,000 gross register tons (GRT) or over)
Totalling: 3,952,159 GRT/6,521,645 metric tons of deadweight (DWT)
Cargo ships
Bulk ships 19
Cargo ship 4
Container ships 10
Roll-on/Roll-off ships 4
Tanker ships
Liquefied gas tanker ships 15
Chemical tanker ships 2
Petroleum tanker ships 12
Passenger ships
Foreign Ownership and Documentation
Note: Of these, 10 are foreign-owned: Denmark 4, Greece 4, United Kingdom 2. 113 ships with Belgium ownership are registered in other countries: Antigua and Barbuda 4, Bahamas 13, Bermuda 4, Cyprus 1, French Southern and Antarctic Lands 6, Georgia 1, Gibraltar 2, Greece 12, Hong Kong 3, Luxembourg 9, Malta 10, Mozambique 2, Netherlands 2, Netherlands Antilles 4, Panama 11, Portugal 8, Russia 4, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 3, Singapore 12, Sweden 2. 2006 estimates.
Source: This article contains material from the CIA World Factbook which, as a US government publication, is in the public domain.

[edit] Airports

Main article: List of airports in Belgium

[edit] with paved runways

total: 24
over 3,047 m: 6, including Brussels Airport.
2,438 to 3,047 m: 8
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 6 (1999 est.)

[edit] with unpaved runways

total: 18
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 16 (1999 est.)

[edit] Heliports

1 (1999.)

[edit] References

[edit] See also

v • d • e
Transport in Europe
Sovereign
states
Dependencies,
autonomies,
other territories

Abkhazia 2 · Adjara1 · Akrotiri and Dhekelia · Åland · Azores · Crimea · Faroe Islands · Gagauzia · Gibraltar · Greenland7 · Guernsey · Jan Mayen · Jersey · Kosovo · Isle of Man · Madeira8 · Nagorno-Karabakh1 · Nakhchivan1 · Northern Cyprus1 · South Ossetia 2 · Svalbard · Transnistria
Italics indicates an unrecognised or partially recognised country. 1 Entirely in Southwest Asia.  2 Partially or entirely in Asia, depending on the border definitions.  3 / 4 / 5 / 6 Has part of its territory in Asia / North America / South America / Africa.  7 / 8 Entirely on the North American Plate / African Plate.