Rail operator Infrabel reported that the North Sea – Mediterranean rail freight corridor re-opened for trains on August 16 after being closed for several weeks due to damage that occurred on its Belgian section during the July floods.
The corridor is an important component of the freight network between the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Luxembourg – as well as the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The railway lines were severely damaged at Mont-Saint-Guibert, near Wavre in Belgium’s Wallonia region, when a river passing under the tracks overflowed and carried away the trackbed.
The repairs took longer than scheduled as flood damage to some roads in Belgium delayed the repair work on sections of track.
While the main rail corridor was closed, rail freight was diverted via the Artère Nord Est line in northern France which runs from Lille to Charleville, Thionville and Metz.
