Soumagne Tunnel
Encyclopedia
The Soumagne Tunnel is the longest rail tunnel in Belgium
, with a length of 6505 metres (21,341.9 ft). Built on the HSL 3
line of the Belgian TGV
service for Brussels-Liège-Cologne, the tunnel was completed in 2004. The new line was opened on 12 June 2009. The tunnel links the Liège conurbation with the Herve plateau at a depth of 120 metres (393.7 ft). Construction and outfitting of the tunnel took place from 2001 to 2005, with the first trains passing through in 2009. The entrances are at Vaux-sous-Chèvremont 50.6033968°N 5.6371021°W and Soumagne
50.6109955°N 5.7258296°W. The tunnel passes under Chaudfontaine, Fléron
, Romsée and Ayeneux.
The bored section is 5940 metres (6,496.1 yd), extended by covered sections of respectively 177 and 388 m. Dozens of geological layers of differing hardness had to be tunnelled through, lime layers needing to be blasted through with dynamite. The tunnel reaches a depth of 127 m in some areas; it has an average ramp height of 1.7%, with a maximum of 2% at the entrance in Soumagne. The free space profile in the tunnel is approximately 69 m² (742.7 sq ft), which restricts speeds to 200 km/h (124.3 mph).
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, with a length of 6505 metres (21,341.9 ft). Built on the HSL 3
HSL 3
The HSL 3 is a Belgian high-speed rail line. It connects Liège to the German border near Aachen. The line is long, of which are dedicated high-speed tracks....
line of the Belgian TGV
TGV
The TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....
service for Brussels-Liège-Cologne, the tunnel was completed in 2004. The new line was opened on 12 June 2009. The tunnel links the Liège conurbation with the Herve plateau at a depth of 120 metres (393.7 ft). Construction and outfitting of the tunnel took place from 2001 to 2005, with the first trains passing through in 2009. The entrances are at Vaux-sous-Chèvremont 50.6033968°N 5.6371021°W and Soumagne
Soumagne
Soumagne is a municipality of Belgium. It lies in the country's Walloon Region and Province of Liege. On September 1, 2008 Soumagne had a total population of 15,894...
50.6109955°N 5.7258296°W. The tunnel passes under Chaudfontaine, Fléron
Fléron
Fléron is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Liège. On January 1, 2006 Fléron had a total population of 16,088. The total area is which gives a population density of 1,172 inhabitants per km²....
, Romsée and Ayeneux.
The bored section is 5940 metres (6,496.1 yd), extended by covered sections of respectively 177 and 388 m. Dozens of geological layers of differing hardness had to be tunnelled through, lime layers needing to be blasted through with dynamite. The tunnel reaches a depth of 127 m in some areas; it has an average ramp height of 1.7%, with a maximum of 2% at the entrance in Soumagne. The free space profile in the tunnel is approximately 69 m² (742.7 sq ft), which restricts speeds to 200 km/h (124.3 mph).
Source
- This article incorporates text translated from the corresponding French Wikipedia article as of November 3, 2010.