Belgium has completed the rollout of the European Train Control System (ETCS) Level 2 across its national railway, following the conclusion of a project involving Siemens Mobility, Equans, and Belgian railway infrastructure manager Infrabel.
The implementation, which began in 2015, has upgraded 2,274km of rail with ETCS Level 2 technology.
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Through the integration of advanced interlockings and the enablement of continuous digital communication, the project aims to bring in substantial improvements in operational efficiency and ensure seamless cross-border train operations in line with EU standards.
Within the project, Siemens Mobility handled the implementation and modernisation of ETCS Level 2 and interlocking systems for the majority of Belgium’s rail system.
Equans managed site installation work, including cabling, civil engineering, documentation, electrical fitting, and hardware deployment.
Equans Belux CEO Mark Dirckx said: “With the nationwide installation of the European train control system ETCS and the achievement of the ETCS Masterplan, we have made an important contribution to safer, more efficient and future-proof rail transport in Belgium.
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By GlobalData“Thanks to a partnership with Siemens Mobility, we realised a technically and logistically complex project of impressive scale: extensive rail lines, thousands of track equipment, and a robust digital infrastructure.”
Before this upgrade, Belgium’s railways operated with legacy signalling systems that presented challenges for reliability, efficiency, and cross-border compatibility.
The country’s ‘ETCS Masterplan’ directed efforts to equip all lines with the new system by this month.
The deployment included major routes connecting cities such as Arlon, Bruges, Ghent, Hasselt, Mons and Verviers.
The network now integrates 46 interlockings, 37 Radio Block Centres (RBCs), over 19,000 balises, and about 4,536 signals. These upgrades support real-time train management through GSM-R communication.
Belgium has now achieved ETCS coverage at both Levels 1 and 2 across its entire railway.
According to project details, the ETCS rollout focused on national railway axes, as well as key European corridors.
Siemens Mobility CEO Michael Peter said: “Belgium is the first country to implement ETCS across a highly complex network under rolling conditions with almost no closures – setting the example Europe must follow.
“The on-time completion and commissioning of this project, exactly ten years after its start, reflects the strength of our partnership with Infrabel and the consortium’s unwavering commitment.
“With much of Belgium’s rail network now running on ETCS Level 2, our proven signalling technology delivers the highest safety standards and a more efficient, future-ready rail system for the entire country.”
