All articles

Better international train connections between southern Netherlands and Germany

On 17 April, a symbolic first step was taken towards a fast, direct connection between Germany and the southern Netherlands.

Better international train connections between southern Netherlands and Germany.

The electrification of the 6.5 km railway line between Landgraaf and Herzogenrath is the first project aimed at better international train connections between the southern Netherlands and Germany.

Works
At the end of April, Strukton Rail started on the electrification of the 6.5 km railway line. The installation of an overhead line has made a fast, direct train connection possible between Aachen, Maastricht and Liege. 

Opening new railway

Several major shutdowns are planned in week 18 (220 hours), week 23 (52 hours) and week 35 (52 hours). During these shutdowns, we will extend the platform in Landgraaf, install the overhead line between Landgraaf and Haanrade and build a substation in Haanrade and a transformer station in Landgraaf. We will also lay cables and pipelines, adapt the protection and build a voltage transition point in the overhead line. This is interdisciplinary work involving our skilled personnel from various technical fields.

The electrification work should be finished at the end of this year. Transport company Arriva will then operate an hourly direct train service between Maastricht and Aachen. Arriva has ordered new trains for this service which are suitable for three countries.

EurekaRail
The electrification of the railway line up to the German border is a joint project for ProRail and the province of Limburg. With the EurekaRail programme, the southern Netherlands provinces of North Brabant and Limburg, supported by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, are aiming to provide faster, more comfortable cross-border (train) connections between Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.