Line 36: Brussels-North - Liège-Guillemins

Belgian Railway Line 36

Brussels-North - Liège-Guillemins

The Belgian railway line 36 is a railway line in Belgium connecting Brussels to Liège. Completed in 1866, the line runs 99.3 km. Trains running between Brussels and Aachen in Germany use the line as far as Liège, and then line 37 between Liège and the German border, the last stop in Belgium being Welkenraedt.

Between Schaerbeek and Leuven, the line is 4-track, the outer tracks serve local trains with many stops, while the central tracks carry intercity and high-speed trains, these are called L36N, and branch off after Leuven onto a separate route that mostly follows the E40 motorway towards Liege. The Diabolo project connects L36 to the station under Brussels Airport.

The following stations are located on the line:

• Brussels-North
• Schaerbeek/Schaarbeek
• Haren-South
• Diegem
• Zaventem
• Brussels Airport-Zaventem
• Kortenberg
• Erps-Kwerps
• Veltem
• Herent
• Leuven
• Vertrijk
• Tienen
• Ezemaal
• Neerwinden
• Landen
• Waremme
• Bleret
• Remicourt
• Momalle
• Fexhe-le-Haut-Clocher
• Voroux-Goreux
• Bierset-Awans
• Ans
• Liège-Guillemins

Belgian Railway Line 36 Inclined Planes of Liège

Between Ans and Liège, the railway line has to descend 109 m (358 ft) within less than 8 km (5 mi). This steep incline was initially negotiated with the help of a fixed engine driving an endless rope that was used to haul the trains without the help of a locomotive. After the late 1860s, special banking locomotives were used and the fixed engine was discarded. Another line (line 36A) was built to bypass the incline, but this line is only used by freight trains.

When line 36 was electrified in 1955, most of the trains still needed a banking engine. Currently, some trains are powerful enough to climb the incline without a helper and the rest are provided with two locomotives. The rear engine is no longer removed at Ans in order to save time.

Belgian Railway Line 36 Overview

Belgian Railway Line 36 Status: Operational
Belgian Railway Line 36 Locale: Belgium
Belgian Railway Line 36 Termini:
Brussels-North railway station
Liège-Guillemins railway station
Belgian Railway Line 36 Operator(s): National Railway Company of Belgium
Belgian Railway Line 36 Opened: 1837-1866
Belgian Railway Line 36 Line Length: 100 km (62 mi)
Belgian Railway Line 36 Number of Tracks: double track
Belgian Railway Line 36 Track Gauge: 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Belgian Railway Line 36 Electrification: 3 kV DC

Belgian Railway Line 36 Route Map

           Line from Brussels-South
0.0      Brussels-North
            Line from Namur
            Line to Ghent
2.4      Schaarbeek
            Line to Antwerp enlarge…
5.5      Haren-Zuid
           Line Halle–Vilvoorde
7.0      Diegem
9.4      Zaventem
           to Brussels Airport
12.0    Nossegem
14.7    Kortenberg
17.8    Erps-Kwerps
21.1    Veltem
24.0    Herent
            to Aarschot
            from Mechelen
            from Aarschot
28.8    Leuven
            to Ottignies
            HSL 2 to Liège enlarge…
40.0    Vertrijk
47.4    Tienen
53.8    Ezemaal
57.0    Neerwinden
60.7    Landen
            to Hasselt
74.5    Waremme
77.2    Bleret
79.8    Remicourt
83.2    Momalle
85.4    Fexhe-le-Haut-Clocher
87.8    Voroux-Goreux
           freight line to Angleur
89.9   Bierset-Awans
           HSL 2 from Leuven enlarge…
93.4   Ans
           from Tongeren
99.9   Liège-Guillemins
           Line to Namur
           River Meuse
           to Seraing
           Line to Maastricht
           Line to Aachen enlarge…