Infrastruct

Re-opening of the rail line from Eindhoven to Hasselt has been proposed – although without any serious commitment from local and national governments. The proposal here includes more new infrastructure than earlier proposals. It would be part of a wider programme of new rail lines around Eindhoven (agglomeration population 440 000), including the proposed new regional lines in the triangle Den Bosch – Eindhoven – Nijmegen. These proposed lines, north of Eindhoven, would have a distinct gauge and electrification system (for instance metre gauge with 5-kV AC). If the Hasselt line was connected to them, it would also use their distinct systems. The alignment described here assumes a conventional rail line. At the southern end, at Hasselt, it would connect with the proposed high-speed service from Antwerpen to Hasselt, and the proposed high-speed line Hasselt – Maastricht.

The old rail line was mainly built by the Compagnie du Chemin de fer de Liègeois – Limbourgeois et des prolongements. It consists of (south to north):

• Belgian line 15 from Hasselt to Houthalen (opened 1866, still in use, stations closed)
• former Belgian line 18 from Houthalen to Achel (opened 1866, closed to passengers 1957, last track closed 1999). At Neerpelt, the line shared a station with Belgian line 19 – the Iron Rhine. This station is still in use as the current terminus of passenger services on line 19, from Antwerpen (Antwerp).
• Achel – Valkenswaard (opened 1866, closed to passengers 1957, closed to freight 1973)
• Valkenswaard – Eindhoven (opened 1866). It was replaced 1959 by a single-track link, from Valkenswaard to Geldrop (on the Eindhoven – Weert line). The replacement line was itself closed in 1973.

The Spartacus plan for public transport in the region around Hasselt (Belgian Limburg) includes a regional light-rail service Hasselt – Neerpelt. It also considers several options for light-rail links Neerpelt – Eindhoven. Most of them are low-cost, low-quality options: single-track lines, on-street lines in Valkenswaard and Aalst, shared use of tramlines or bus lanes in Eindhoven, and/or re-opening of the 1959 link line to Geldrop. The simplest option suggested in the report is: extension of the existing diesel services Antwerpen – Neerpelt, to Weert. Passengers would change at Weert to the existing NS services Weert – Eindhoven. Journey times would be long with these options: over 90 minutes from Hasselt to Eindhoven, for a distance of about 61 km (by the old rail route).

The proposal here is of higher quality: a double-track electric rail line, specifically for regional trains, separated from other transport improvements – such as a new tram network in Eindhoven. The line would start at Eindhoven Station. There are several options for the route south, out of Eindhoven. The most complex is a tunnel south from the station, around the edge of central Eindhoven. The tunnel would connect either to the former rail alignment along the present Bayeuxlaan (passing the High Tech Campus), or it would follow the Aalsterweg, with another tunnel through Aalst, to join the old rail alignment, between Aalst and Valkenswaard. If the Eindhoven – Hasselt was joined to the proposed lines from Den Bosch and Nijmegen, this option is the most logical, although difficult to construct. The line would then pass under Eindhoven Station, in a station tunnel alongside (or under) the river Dommel.

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The conventional-rail alignments would exit Eindhoven near sport park Dommeldal-Zuid, and west of the High Tech Campus. These route options would run west from the station area, starting from a new underground station, under Fellenoord. (It would be about 150 m from the existing station entrance, on the north side). From there, the line would turn south-west, passing the Philips Stadium. There are two options for the next section: an alignment under the parks along the river Gender, or in tunnel under the Karel de Grote Laan. In both cases, a limited amount of demolition (low-rise housing) is necessary.

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The alignment along the Gender is suited for a bored tunnel. The variant along the straight Karel de Grote Laan, could be built as a cut-and-cover tunnel, but it would require a relatively sharp curve at the end. In both cases, there would be a station serving Gestel. A station on the inner ring road (Limburglaan) is also possible.

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The line would then turn southwards, and pass the west side of the High Tech Campus. It would pass within 100 m of the central buildings there, with a station serving the ‘campus’ (in fact a business park). The line then crosses the motorway A2 / A67, and rejoins the former rail alignment, north of the former station Aalst-Waalre. This station is next to the Town Hall – but the Town Hall itself was built half-way between the two villages, and there are few other buildings in the immediate vicinity. A new station here will need bus links, to the rest of Aalst (10 400 inhabitants) and Waalre (5 800).

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The old alignment then goes through forest toward Valkenswaard, converging with the N69 road: the new line would also follow this route. On the northern edge of Valkenswaard, the old line crossed the N69, and continued southwards. The town (20 000 inhabitants) has expanded eastwards since then, but the alignment was used for a road (Europalaan), and is still available for a tunnel. However, at the southern end of the town, the old route has been cut, by an industrial / business zone. The logical option is simply to demolish the buildings, and restore the alignment, south of Europalaan. The station on the new line would be about 400 m from the centre. An alternative (red lines) is a tunnel under the N69 road, through the town. Some demolition of non-historical buildings in the centre is inevitable, but the station could be located directly in the centre.

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South of Valkenswaard, the line runs through an open agricultural landscape. It
again converges slowly with the N69 / N748, crossing it just after the border. From here to Neerpelt, the old line is in use as a cycle path. The original station building at Achel-Station (Achel-Statie) is still there, but there is housing alongside the old line. Relocation westwards, by about 110 m, would solve that problem, and improve the alignment at the curve. Although Achel itself is 2 km further south, a station near the old site is the best option. Just before crossing the Bocholt – Herentaals Canal, the former alignment meets the freight line Neerpelt- Hamont – Weert, part of the Iron Rhine.

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Since line 19 was built after the Eindhoven – Hasselt line, it used the already existing station at Neerpelt (13 000 inhabitants). The two lines share a common alignment, for about 2 km. Neerpelt station would be reconstructed, to allow separation of traffic on both lines, with grade-separated junctions, to the north and south. Neerpelt and Overpelt (13 700 inhabitants) form a single urban area, with low-density dispersed housing (lintbebouwing). The second station, at Overpelt on line 19, should be retained, to serve its central area.

From Neerpelt, the line runs south, crossing the N73 at Wijchmaal (2900 inhabitants). On its own, the low-density settlement at Wijchmaal (lintbebouwing) might not justify a station. However, it is the logical transfer point for buses along the N73 route, to Hechtel, Peer and Bree. Relocation of the line, to the west or east, would move it closer to one village – but further from others. The new line would best follow the original alignment.

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South of Wijchmaal, the alignment runs in a straight line to Houthalen, where it joins line 15 from Mol. The old alignment could be reactivated, and the existing line upgraded. A better option is a new alignment (red line) in tunnel under the N715 / N74, through Helchteren (6 700 inhabitants), Houthalen (23 000), and Zonhoven (20 000). Although the rail line Houthalen – Hasselt still carries passenger trains (line 15), there are no stations at present. (The old stations were closed by the 1970’s). The main road (Grote Baan) is broad and straight, facilitating a cut-and-cover tunnel: the stations can be located directly in the centre of each village. On the west side of Zonhoven, the new line would join the existing line to Hasselt.

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South of Zonhoven, the line crosses the Albert Canal into Hasselt (71 500 inhabitants), capital of the province of Limburg (827 000 inhabitants). This line would be upgraded, and the junction with the main line from Leuven (line 35) would be reconstructed. Services over the existing line 15, to Mol via Beringen, would also benefit from the upgrading of this section. A new station is possible in the north of Hasselt, at the crossing with the Paalsteenstraat. Trains would terminate at Hasselt Station, on the western edge of the city centre.

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The old alignment Hasselt – Houthalen – Eindhoven was about 61 km long. Depending on the chosen route options, the new line would be about 63 – 65 km long. With modern trains, a new or upgraded line, and a station spacing of about 5 km, a journey time of about 50 minutes would be feasible.