Next month, the 80-week Betuwe line works will officially start. DB InfraGO will be building a third track between Emmerich and Oberhausen, near the border with the Netherlands. Initially, it was thought that the Betuwe line, crucial for Dutch rail freight, would close for 80 weeks and that all freight traffic would have to go along the Brabant line instead. Now, it turns out that it may not be that bad after all. The route will only be completely closed for 20 weeks.
How does it work? The 80-week period will, in principle, last 80 weeks and runs roughly from next November (2024) to May 2026. During that time, Germany will be working hard on the ‘third track’ that connects to the Betuwe line. Of those 80 weeks, one track in Germany can be used for 60 weeks and therefore the Betuwe line can also be used, albeit to a slightly lesser extent than usual. The German railways will be completely out of service for the remaining 20 weeks, during which time the Betuwe line cannot be used at all.
In practice, this means that the Brabant route will be used more for rail freight transport during those 60 weeks. During the 20 weeks, almost all freight transport will run via the Brabant route. “Some freight traffic will use the Bentheim line, but that is negligible,” says Renske Breevoort, international programme manager at Dutch infrastructure manager ProRail. Breevoort was already involved in the project in Germany in 2021, which has serious consequences for the Netherlands.
“Initially they said ‘we’ll just close it for 80 weeks’, so then we went to see what the consequences would be for the Netherlands. We soon found out that it would be a disaster”, Breevoort recounts. “So we went back to the Germans with the message ‘this really can’t happen’. At first they shrugged their shoulders, as if to say: ‘your problem’. But as the heated discussions progressed, there was more understanding and they started working on it. That’s how they came to a compromise: 60 weeks single-track open, with some passing tracks that would be constructed, and ‘only’ 20 weeks completely closed.”
With that, ProRail managed to get the most out of it for the Netherlands. “And now we are simply working together very well,” Breevoort assures. “The contacts are good, the interests of both sides are clear and we help each other where possible.” Regional director Dimitri Kruik states that the problem has become less serious, but that the Netherlands (read: ProRail, the carriers, shippers and the passengers) still faces major challenges.
The work on the third track between Emmerich and Oberhausen includes the construction of 46 kilometres of new – additional – track, 22 kilometres of replacement of old track and the construction of a third track, and over 3 kilometres the construction of a third and fourth track. Furthermore, 47 bridge structures are being constructed, 55 level crossings are being replaced by 38 bridges, and a number of passing tracks of 750 metres are being constructed for freight trains along the entire route.
“The challenge is twofold,” Kruik says. “First of all, logistics: we have to make sure that everything can continue to run and, if possible, punctually. The second challenge lies in the environment: level crossings will be closed more often and for longer periods along the entire Brabant line, from Rotterdam to Venlo, and residents of places along that Brabant route who live close to the railway may experience more nuisance from noise and vibrations. We have tried to do as much as possible about that in advance.”
For example, many concrete level crossing slabs have been replaced by rubber ones, which significantly reduce the noise of passing trains. “Furthermore, rail dampers and under sleeper pads have been installed where necessary and we are still working on that at the moment, as well as installing noise barriers where possible,” says Kruik.
Simulations and additional employees
In addition, various measures have already been taken at the traffic control post in Eindhoven to be ready for a busy 80 weeks. “We have already hired more people,” says Wil Donders, manager of the post in Eindhoven, from which the railway from the German border to Breda and ‘s-Hertogenbosch is operated. “We have already done many simulation sessions and that process is also still ongoing. For example, next week we have an important corridor simulation that is controlled from Basel. Then we simulate all kinds of situations, so that we learn how to respond to them best,” says Donders. Furthermore, the Unimog is ready in Eindhoven to be able to tow away a train as quickly as possible if it comes to a standstill, or to provide assistance in the event of unexpected overhead line problems.
This is necessary, because the train traffic controllers normally have to deal with things that disrupt the timetable on a very regular basis. Think of stopped trains, track walkers, suicides and technical malfunctions. “Of course, these will have more impact when we have more freight traffic in the future, in addition to all the passenger traffic. We want to be prepared for that, as well as we can. Because although we really try, you can’t predict everything.”
135 freight trains per day on the Brabant line for 20 weeks
The traffic control posts of Rotterdam, Roosendaal, Kijfhoek and Eindhoven will get some tough work in the coming year and a half, while the Brabant line is already extremely busy. “That’s true”, says Paul Klomp, program manager Improvement Approach Train at ProRail. “In addition, a lot of extra freight transport will be added during 80 weeks.” These are the hard figures:
Betuwe line
In 2023, an average of 115 freight trains ran on a normal day without diversions.
From November 2024 to May 2026:
- During a single-track closure of the Betuwe line: expected 100 freight trains per day (60 weeks).
- During a complete closure of the Betuwe line: expected 0 freight trains per day (20 weeks).
Brabant line
In 2023, an average of 60 freight trains ran on a normal day without diversions.
From November 2024 to May 2026:
- During a single-track closure of the Betuwe line: expected 65 freight trains per day (60 weeks).
- During a complete closure of the Betuwe line: expected 135 freight trains per day (20 weeks).
Bentheim line
In 2023, an average of 25 freight trains ran on a normal day without diversions.
From November 2024 to May 2026:
- During a single-track closure of the Betuwe line: expected 30 freight trains per day (60 weeks).
- During a complete closure of the Betuwe line: expected 50 freight trains per day (20 weeks).
IJssellijn line
In 2023, an average of 10 freight trains ran on a normal day without diversions.
From November 2024 to May 2026:
- During a single-track closure of the Betuwe line: expected 10 freight trains per day (60 weeks).
- During a complete closure of the Betuwe line: expected 15 freight trains per day (20 weeks).
“We have already taken all sorts of logistical and IT measures to try to keep everything on track,” says Klomp. This also includes optimising the requisitioning process with freight transporters, whereby locomotives of freight trains that are near a blockage caused by a stranded train can be ‘requisitioned’ to tow the train away.
“That is just one example,” says Klomp. “A whole package of measures has been put together, also in the area of asset management, incident control, third-party disruptions (disruptions caused by third parties, over which ProRail and the carriers have no control) and the border process. We work closely with our German colleagues in this. We already have a train traffic controller permanently at the office of the German traffic control in Duisburg. We do not want to leave anything to chance.”
‘A normal busy day’
ProRail, DB InfraGO, the involved (freight and passenger) carriers and various other involved parties have been working since 2021 to map out the consequences of the ’80-week’ and minimise them as much as possible. “But even then, things will go wrong”, Dimitri Kruik is realistic. “Look, during those 60 weeks it will be like a ‘normal, busy day’ on the Brabant line. But even in normal circumstances we have to deal with delays and cancelled trains. So that will also happen then.”
Kruik is a bit worried about the 20 weeks in which the Betuwe line cannot be used at all and therefore almost all freight transport has to detour along the Brabant line. “Next summer, we are going to have eight weeks in a row”, he nods. “So we still have some time to prepare ourselves even better, but it will be a high burden for our train traffic controllers.”
In short: Brabant should prepare itself. And… even after those 80 weeks it will not be over yet. “The work on that third track will probably continue until 2030”, says Kruik. “But by then the Betuwe line will hardly be taken out of service.”
This article was originally published by our sister publication SpoorPro.nl.