Opened in 1997, the high-speed line between Brussels and France is the oldest high-speed rail network in Europe. LGV1", the line linking Brussels to France, used every day by around a hundred trains travelling at 300km/h, is showing signs of wear and tear.
In recent years, signs of ageing have appeared, prompting Infrabel, the Belgian railway infrastructure manager, to plan a renewal project that will be spread over ten years at a cost of 310 million.
The first phase of the works will take place this summer. Their scale, and the need to guarantee staff safety, will make it impossible to keep the line in service. Traffic will be completely disrupted on the TGV line in both directions, from 12 to 30 August. During this period, TGVs will use the conventional network, either via Mons (traffic to and from Paris), or via Ath/Tournai (traffic to and from London), resulting in journey times extended by around 30 minutes.
The planning of the project has taken into account the organisation of the Olympic Games in Paris. The launch will therefore take place after the closing ceremony. The various rail operators operating on this LGV 1 have adapted their timetables accordingly. Eurostar will shortly be informing passengers of the timetable changes.
Work to be carried out every summer until 2035, with traffic disruption
In 18 days and 18 nights, the technical teams will be completely renewing the components of one of the two lanes. That's a 17.6km stretch. This will mean laying 35.2km of new rails, around 30,000 new sleepers and some 5,500 tonnes of ballast.
According to Infrabel, renovation work on LGV 1 "Brussels-French border" will continue until 2035. Until then, this will mean planned traffic cuts every summer. On average, around fifteen days a year.
