major infrastructure schemes, including the Diabolo link to Brussels Airport and the Liefkenshoek Rail Link, which will provide a new rail connection between Antwerp’s eastern and western docks. Yet while these projects have achieved widespread acclaim, Infrabel is not currently planning any further PPPs. “These have been very successful
projects, both on time and on budget, but they were very complex, they took a long time to set up, and they need to be managed and monitored by a dedicated team,” says Smeets. “We want to test both projects in operation and see how they perform in the longer term, but it’s clear that PPPs can’t be a regular business for Infrabel because they consume a lot of time and resources. PPPs have limits and they are complicated politically because they affect governments 10 to 30 years into the future.” Smeets stresses the current policy on PPPs could be reviewed in the future, and is very much at the discretion of the country’s political leaders, but for the time being at least it seems the Belgian government favours direct public funding for major railway
“It’s clear that PPPs can’t be a regular business for Infrabel because they consume a lot of time and resources.” Marc Smeets
investment projects. Belgium’s railways are set for significant change over the next 10 years, with the reorganisation of SNCB and Infrabel, an increasing number of open-access operators using the network, and investment in modern signalling and train control systems driving improvements in safety, punctuality, and efficiency. With
SHOWCASING TECHNOLOGY, INVESTMENT AND DEPLOYMENT FOR THE FUTURE RAILWAY
continued growth in passenger and freight volumes, there will also be pressure to provide additional capacity, particularly on the north-south line through Brussels city centre and on the key freight routes to the ports of Zeebrugge and Antwerp. An efficient structure and political stability will be vital if Infrabel and SNCB are to meet the growth challenge. IRJ
ORGANISED BY:
1 SHOW: NEW IDEAS | NEW TECHNOLOGIES | NEW RELATIONSHIPS
Register for FREE at
www.SmartRailExpo.com IRJ January 2014 17
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44