Infrabel to remove seven dangerous train level crossings in Bilzen

Infrabel has started work in Bilzen to remove all railway crossings in the city’s territory. Seven train crossings will be eliminated and made safer this way. They will be replaced by mobility alternatives, such as bridges (2), tunnels (4), a parallel road, and two sections of bicycle highway. The level crossings will only be closed when the mobility alternatives are ready. 

Last year, Belgium registered 31 accidents at railway crossings. Six people were killed; five were severely injured. In Limburg, three similar accidents occurred, in which one person was seriously injured. Therefore, the project had been on the political agenda for some time.

Smoother and safer traffic

The railway-crossing project in Bilzen should lead to smoother and safer traffic for all road users and, in particular, for cyclists and pedestrians. It will also eliminate the long queues at closed level crossings. A similar project was realized in Duepenbeek, where in the summer of 2022, seven level crossings were replaced by three bridges, one tunnel, bicycle and longitudinal roads.

The most radical intervention is at the level crossing where Hasseltsestraat (N2) turns into Sint-Lambertuslaan. No fewer than 180 trains pass here daily, so 180 times a day, the barriers are lowered for a few minutes. This crossing will be replaced by a tunnel for all traffic.

31 million euros

The project will be carried out in phases and will last approximately three years until early 2027. It will ensure increased safety on the Belgian railway network and for road users, but it will also benefit the punctuality of train traffic and mobility in Bilzen and Limburg.

The joint project of Infrabel, De Lijn, the Roads and Traffic Agency (Agentschap Wegen en Verkeer, AWV), the city of Bilzen, Aquafin, and TUC RAIL is estimated to cost approximately 31 million euros, of which Infrabel will account for €15 million, and Bilzen €5 million.

Iron Age

In preparation for the works, an archaeological investigation and some work on the utility lines were also carried out last year. During the preliminary investigation and during the excavations themselves, the archaeologists found, among other things, a building from the metal age and a grave from the later Iron Age, the Roman period.