Diabolo project
Encyclopedia
The Diabolo project is creating a new railway line serving Brussels National Airport
.
It is so called because of its shape: the line forms a chord between the Brussels-Leuven line going east and the Brussels-Antwerp line going north, and connects with them via a triangular junction at each end. Its building will permit a much more flexible airport railway service to be laid on: as well as mainline trains going north and east, future high-speed services between London
, Paris
, Amsterdam
and Cologne
could call there. This would make Brussels National Airport a fully-fledged international railway station on the model of Amsterdam's Schiphol or Paris's Charles de Gaulle. At present, the airport station is a terminus, linked only to the Brussels-Leuven line.
As of May 2009, work is well advanced on the new line (numbered 25N) being built up the central reservation of the A1/E19 motorway from Schaerbeek/Schaarbeek
to Mechelen
: the bridge
span connecting it to the existing line at the northern end was placed in May 2009 and the tunnel
into the airport at the southern end is being dug. Plans to open the line by March 2012 have been pushed forward, after some fears were shown as to the completion date of the project. This opening will then let to the beginning of another important Brussels-based rail project in terms of infrastructure construction: the Brussels RER
, whose inauguration is planned between 2015 and 2018.
Brussels National Airport railway station
Brussels National Airport railway station is a terminus train station at Brussels Airport. It was opened in 1958 in the old airport building, mainly for the universal exposition in Brussels. With the opening of a new airport terminal in 1994, the railway station was moved in 1998 to a new location...
.
It is so called because of its shape: the line forms a chord between the Brussels-Leuven line going east and the Brussels-Antwerp line going north, and connects with them via a triangular junction at each end. Its building will permit a much more flexible airport railway service to be laid on: as well as mainline trains going north and east, future high-speed services between London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
and Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
could call there. This would make Brussels National Airport a fully-fledged international railway station on the model of Amsterdam's Schiphol or Paris's Charles de Gaulle. At present, the airport station is a terminus, linked only to the Brussels-Leuven line.
As of May 2009, work is well advanced on the new line (numbered 25N) being built up the central reservation of the A1/E19 motorway from Schaerbeek/Schaarbeek
Schaarbeek railway station
Schaerbeek - Schaarbeek is a railway station in the municipality of Schaerbeek, Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium.Located to the north-east of the centre of Brussels, the station mainly serves trains travelling between central Brussels and Leuven, Antwerp or Brussels National Airport.On these routes...
to Mechelen
Mechelen
Mechelen Footnote: Mechelen became known in English as 'Mechlin' from which the adjective 'Mechlinian' is derived...
: the bridge
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
span connecting it to the existing line at the northern end was placed in May 2009 and the tunnel
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
into the airport at the southern end is being dug. Plans to open the line by March 2012 have been pushed forward, after some fears were shown as to the completion date of the project. This opening will then let to the beginning of another important Brussels-based rail project in terms of infrastructure construction: the Brussels RER
Brussels RER
The Brussels RER is a rapid transit system under construction in Belgium. It will offer fast connections and increased frequency within 30km of Brussels, covering a territory inhabited by 2.5 million people.-Overview:...
, whose inauguration is planned between 2015 and 2018.
External links
- Information on the project on the Infrabel website
- Railway industry article about Diablo project