A milestone for rail freight in Belgium
posted on 11th Jul 2026 09:38
For the very first time in history, a 1,600-tonne freight train has on 1 July 2026 successfully been hauled over the demanding 17 ‰ gradient of Line 162 in Belgium by a single locomotive - namely EURO9000.
This test was only possible thanks to the exceptional collaboration between Infrabel, NSA Rail Belgium (the Belgian railway authority), RTB CARGO BELGIUM and Stadler Valencia. The entire initiative was launched and coordinated by European Loc Pool with one clear objective: to unlock new opportunities for more efficient, flexible and powerful rail freight operations in Belgium.
Line 162 runs from Namur to Kleinbettingen (the Luxemburg frontier). The 17 ‰ gradient, this is situated on several stretches between Namur and Arlon in each direction, running to the south the longest stretch is situated between Poix-Saint-Hubert and Libramont (14 - 16.8 ‰).
The photo of RTB Cargo‘s 2019 315 (on rent from ELP) was taken at Rochefort-Jemelle with the limestone factory of Lhoist in the background. The plant specialized in the extraction of limestone and its processing into high-quality lime used in metallurgy and in the production of concrete and road surfacing materials.
