Station Haelen

Over de spoorlijn Weert – Roermond rijdt alleen de Intercity tussen Amsterdam en Limburg, alle stations zijn gesloten. De lijn werd ook niet aangelegd om de dorpen te bedienen: het is een deel van de IJzeren Rijn, een Belgisch-Duitse verbinding. Hier werd eerder voorgesteld, om de omweg over Roermond te vermijden met een hogesnelheidslijn Eindhoven – Sittard over Vlaams grondgebied. Er werd ook een alternatief daarvoor voorgesteld, namelijk een HSL bypass van Weert en Roermond langs de A2.

HSL langs A2 bij Wessem…

 
In beide gevallen komt de lijn Weert – Roermond vrij voor regionale en interregionale treinen. Dat wordt deels teniet gedaan, bij heractivering van de IJzeren Rijn. Hier werd eerder ook voorgesteld om de IJzeren Rijn ‘af te buigen’ naar Venlo, waar het beter aansluit op de overige lijnen, ook op de voorgestelde HSL Venlo – Neuss.

 
Ook in dat geval heeft de lijn Weert – Roermond voldoende capaciteit. De lijn had vroeger twee haltes (Baexem-Heythuysen en Haelen), en twee stations (Kelpen en Buggenum). De status komt niet overeen met de bevolking: Kelpen en Buggenum zijn gehuchten. Station Kelpen lag in open veld, en station Buggenum op een bocht bij de Maasbrug. Alle vier zijn vóór, of tijdens, de Tweede Wereldoorlog gesloten. Voor de heropening van stations bij Baexem en Haelen wordt lokaal gelobbyd.

Ligging van Baexem en Haelen: basiskaart van Jan-Willem van Aalst, onder CC 3.0 licentie…

 
Een station bij Haelen sluit goed aan op de overige infrastructuur. Het ligt aan de Napoleonsbaan, de hoofdweg langs de Maas van Venlo tot Maastricht (N273, N78 in België). De huidige hoofdverbindingen liggen aan de oostoever, en daar wonen ook meer mensen, maar deze route behoudt een regionale betekenis.

De voorgestelde regionale tramlijn Maastricht – Maaseik – Roermond volgt een oude tramlijn langs de Napoleonsbaan. Een verlenging van deze lijn naar Venlo zou de spoorlijn kruisen bij Haelen. Op de Napoleonsbaan ten noorden van Ittervoort, reed echter nooit een tram. Ook de huidige bevolking van de dorpen, rond 30 000, kan 30 km tramlijn niet rechtvaardigen. Over de Napoleonsbaan ten zuiden van Haelen rijdt niet eens een bus: de lijnen zijn gericht op Roermond.

Een nieuw station bedient vooral Haelen zelf (met Nunhem 5000 inwoners), en geeft overstap op de bus langs de Napoleonsbaan naar Neer, Kessel-Eik, Kessel, en Baarlo. Die hebben samen circa 15 000 inwoners. Naar de binnenstad van Roermond zal een bus via Horn even snel zijn. Vanuit Horn zelf naar Weert en Eindhoven, zal het station wel een kortere route bieden.

 
Tegenover een klein bereik staat een eenvoudige aanleg. Het station komt op zijn oude plek aan het Stationsplein, aan de zuidrand van het dorp, circa 1200 m van de dorpskern. De hoofdweg N273 is al om het dorp heen geleid, maar de overweg op de oude Napoleonsbaan moet verdwijnen. Voor een onderdoorgang is er wel voldoende ruimte.

Langs Haelen rijden er tegenwoordig Intercity-treinen. Heropening van het station veronderstelt, dat de regionale diensten Eindhoven – Weert worden doorgetrokken naar Roermond. Een tweede station tussen Weert en Roermond, bij Baexem, zou in dat geval zinvol zijn. Ook daar is het een kwestie van een onderdoorgang bouwen, en perrons aanleggen. Het station komt direct aan de dorpsstraat.

Wat niet zinvol lijkt, is heropening van deze stations voor één trein per uur. Haelen ligt 7 km van Roermond, en een lange wachttijd voor de trein is niet aanvaardbaar. Heropening past in het kader van intensivering van de regionale diensten in Limburg.

Regional rail line Hasselt – Maaseik – Roermond

A rail line from Hasselt to Roermond was mentioned here earlier, in the proposal for a regional rail line Hasselt – Genk – Sittard. In fact, Roermond was the original planned terminus of Belgian line 21A from Genk (1874), but the line never got further than Maaseik. Passenger trains to Maaseik ceased in the 1950′s, and the Genk – Maaseik section was closed in 1979.

A Genk – Sittard line would serve more people, than a re-opened line Genk – Maaseik, which runs mainly through forest and fields. Nevertheless the Spartacus project – a regional tram network around Hasselt – includes a tram line on this alignment. The proposal here is a strategic rail line Hasselt – Genk – Roermond, rather than a regional tram line.

The line would connect Hasselt to the Maas valley line, in the direction of Venlo and Nijmegen. It would also connect to the proposed regional tram Roermond – Maaseik – Maastricht, improving regional connections to the villages north and south of Maaseik.

Alignment Hasselt – Maaseik

The alignment Hasselt – Genk was already described, as part of the proposed line to Sittard. Most of it is in use, but the proposed diversion via the university campus at Hasselt is new, and As station could be relocated. The earlier proposal also included restoration of the original alignment through Genk, now used by the N75 highway. North-east of Genk, the railway to Eisden diverged at the former station of As, which is in fact at Niel. With re-opening of the line to Maaseik, this old station could also be re-opened.

From Niel, the abandoned line runs almost straight toward Maaseik (16 km), mainly through forest and fields. The alignment is available: it is used as a cycle path. North of Dilsen, the line drops about 50 m from the Kempen Plateau, curving around the former Rotem zinc works. The line then crosses the Zuid-Willemsvaart canal. Only one of the three former stations justifies re-opening: at Elen, where the line crosses the N757 (Steenweg near Neeroeteren).

The station would serve the dispersed housing (lintbebouwing) west of Elen and Rotem. (The old Dilsen station was on the road between Dilsen and Opoeteren, too far from either village).

Through Maaseik

Maaseik (municipal population 25 000) has a small historic core on the Maas, about 500 m long. The old station was on the western edge of the town, and the site is still available. If the line only served Maaseik, it would be the logical place for a new station. A new line across the Maas requires a bridge or tunnel. It might conflict with the proposed high-speed line Eindhoven – Sittard, which would pass through Maaseik without a station. There are several possible alignments.

A line under the historic core would require a tunnel at least 30 m deep, to avoid damage to the historic buildings, and there is no site for a station anyway. A surface alignment south of the built-up area, could have a Maas bridge near the roundabout Boudewijnlaan / Heppersteenweg. However, that would require a long viaduct across the flood plain east of the Maas.

A deep tunnel could possibly pass between the historic core and the new shopping centre (shown in blue on the map). Demolition near the tunnel portal is unavoidable, but this option could have a station just 200 m from main square. Its construction would be like that of a deep metro station.

Click to enlarge…

Tunnel alignments on the northern side could run under Burgemeester Philipslaan, or Van Eycklaan, or under the relatively open space between them (one example shown in yellow). The line would descend into bored tunnel, about 1 km before the old station site. Again, the new station could be close to the centre, but these tunnels would probably conflict with the HSL alignment.

The best option seem to be a station at the southwestern edge of Maaseik, on the main road (N78, Maastrichtersteenweg). The line would turn away from the old alignment there, and drop into tunnel after the station, roughly parallel to the Eerste Straat (shown in white). The station is relatively far from the centre, but would have interchange with the proposed regional tram Roermond – Maaseik – Maastricht. From the station, the tunnel would have 1500 m to descend, before it passed under the river.

The line Hasselt – Maaseik, via the university campus cut-off, would be about 42 km long.

Alignment Maaseik – Roermond

After crossing the Maas, the line would pass north of Roosteren, crossing the HSL Eindhoven – Sittard. It would then turn north-east, crossing the lateral Juliana Canal and the A2 motorway. Because the canal is above ground level here, a tunnel (or navigable aqueduct) is preferable. After the canal, the line would turn more northwards, toward Echt, passing east of Ophoven. This alignment is parallel to the A2 motorway, but about 700 m further east.

Click to enlarge…

Approaching Echt, the line would use the alignment of the former LTM tram (Limburgsche Tramweg-Maatschappij). In Echt itself, the tram alignment is used for a road (Trambaan and Sint Janskamp). The rail line would run on viaduct, with a station at the roundabout, 400 m from the old village centre. Echt would then have two stations, east and west.

The line would then run parallel to A2, along the west side of the industrial zone De Berk. It would pass the motorway junction A2 / A73, and turn to join the existing Roermond line near Vonderen. The open land between Echt and the motorway junction is being developed as a business park, but if necessary the line can simply pass north of it. The line would cross a possible Weert – Echt cut-off line along the A2 motorway, but there is no reason to have interchange between the two lines.

Click to enlarge…

The new line joins the main Maastricht – Venlo line (1865). This section would be upgraded, with four tracks, as part of the proposed high-speed route Sittard – Roermond – Venlo.

At present there are no stations between Echt and Roermond: the upgrading would include re-opening of the station at Linne. In Roermond (population 46 000), trains from Hasselt might connect with the line to Mönchengladbach. However, this currently closed line, the ‘Iron Rhine’ or IJzeren Rijn, was built for freight. A restored version might not even pass through Roermond Station.

Pattern of service

Trains from Hasselt should therefore continue another 24 km, to Venlo (population 80 000). That allows interchange with trains to Krefeld, Duisburg, Neuss and Düsseldorf, via the proposed HSL Venlo – Neuss. The existing line to Viersen would become an S-Bahn line to Neuss. Running north from Venlo are the proposed HSL to Eindhoven, and the upgraded line to Nijmegen.

The line Hasselt -Roermond would be about 61-62 km long. (The choice of alignment in Maaseik would only marginally alter the total length, by 200-500 m). The total route Hasselt – Venlo would be about 85 km long – enough to justify two levels of service. With fast trains only stopping at Genk, Maaseik and Roermond, the Hasselt – Venlo journey time could be under an hour.

Station Venlo Trade Port

De voorgestelde hogesnelheidslijn Nijmegen – Venlo gebruikt het tracé van de bestaande Maaslijn tussen Tienray en Venlo. Mogelijk rijden de overige treinen over een verschoven spoor-tracé langs de A-73: deze zou bij Raaieind op de bestaande lijn aansluiten. Op die lijn is er een goede plek voor een nieuwe station: tussen het 130-hectare bedrijventerrein Fresh Park Venlo, en het toekomstige kantorenpark Venlo GreenPark.

Nieuwe spoorlijn langs Horst, station bij Floriade-terrein…

 
Zonder deze verschuiving van de spoorlijn naar een nieuw tracé, zouden alle treinen gebruik maken van het bestaande Maaslijn-tracé. De lijn moet dan viersporig worden, in elk geval vanaf Tienray. Een station bij het Fresh Park is dan problematisch: de spoorlijn loopt aan de achterkant van het terrein. Een station is wel mogelijk iets verderop, na de A67, bij het bedrijfsterrein Trade Port. Het kan ter hoogte van de Celsiusweg aangelegd worden. Een historische stationslocatie is dit niet: tussen Grubbenvorst en Blerick lag vroeger geen station.

Klik om te vergroten…

 
Het tracé van de enkelsporige Maaslijn is hier kaarsrecht, met genoeg ruimte voor uitbreiding tot vier sporen. De bedrijventerreinen rond Venlo zijn echter uitgestrekt, en het nieuwe station kan ze nooit geheel bedienen. Zelfs binnen Fresh Park zouden de loopafstanden boven 2 km uitkomen. Realistisch is bediening van het gebied ten oosten van de A73, en ten zuiden van de A67, officieel Venlo Trade Port. (Er is ook nog een Trade Port West, een Trade Port Oost en een Trade Port Noord). Alle woonwijken liggen dichten bij Station Blerick, en ook nog aan de overkant van de hoofdweg naar Eindhoven (N556).

Klik om te vergroten…

 
De beste plek voor een nieuw station is tussen de Celsiusweg en de Jachthavenweg. De Celsiusweg wordt, in elk geval voor fietsers en voetgangers, doorgetrokken tot de Grubbenvorsterweg. Een zuidelijke ingang komt op een voetgangersverbinding tussen Egtenrayseweg en Jachthavenweg. Het station geeft overstap op bus 29 naar Venray via Tienray, en met een kleine route-wijziging ook bus 60 (Venray via Sevenum en Horst). Ook met de voorgestelde viersporigheid Venlo – Nijmegen, blijft dit een regionale lijn, met hooguit een kwartierdienst.

Regional tram Roermond – Maaseik – Maastricht

The main rail line Amsterdam – Maastricht is on the east bank of the river Maas, as is the north-south motorway (A73 / A2). On the west bank (left bank), the main road is a Napoleonic military road (Netherlands N273, and the Belgian N78).

There is no rail line on the west bank, but there was an inter-local tram line along the main road, between Maastricht and Roermond. Belgium once had an extensive network of metre-gauge local railways (Chemins de Fer Vicinaux). The metre-gauge local railway 485 ran from Maastricht to Maaseik , continuing as line 486 to the Dutch border at Ittervoort. It followed the Napoleonic road almost entirely. In 1915, the Centrale Limburgsche Spoorweg company (CLS) extended it to Roermond, although not along the Napoleonic road.

There are no current plans, for a restored tram line along the Maas. The Spartacus plan for a regional tram network around Hasselt, includes a Hasselt – Maastricht tram line, using Belgian rail line 20. A regional tram along the Maas could share this alignment, but only for a few kilometres, so a separate alignment is proposed here. That leaves open the possibility of a new metre-gauge line, which would simplify construction of tunnels and viaducts. The Spartacus plan also includes lines to Maaseik and Eisden, which would connect to the N78 alignment, but at right angles.

The proposed line would be a regional tram, running on-street in the villages, with separate tracks where the road is wide enough. It would generally have one stop in each village – less than the existing bus services along these roads. The line is described here north to south, starting at Roermond.

Roermond to Maaseik

The line would start at Roermond station, probably at the existing bus station, and follow the inner ring road around the city centre (Godsweerdersingel, Wilhelminasingel). There would a stop before the river, between the main square and the new Kazerneplein development. The line would then cross the river Maas on a new tram bridge, on the north side of the road bridge. Possibly there would be a stop on the other side, at the recreational lakes (Maasplassen).

Click to enlarge: tram Roermond – Beegden…

The line would follow the N280 toward Horn. This road now bypasses the village of Horn, and restoring the old tram alignment would require a new bridge over the Maas lateral canal. The new tram could run alongside the N280, turn north to the old route in Horn, and then turn south along the road to Beegden. Avoiding Horn entirely would save about 600 m: local trams from Roermond could serve Horn via a short branch.

The tram would use the old road (the Heerbaan, older than the Napoleonic military road), through the villages of Beegden, Heel, and Panheel. Heel might have two stops, one at the old tram station, now ‘Café De Tram’. The line would continue toward Thorn, a historic town – one of the few tourist destinations on the west bank of the Maas. The narrow streets are not suitable for a modern tram: the line could run through the fields, along its northern edge.

Thorn: CC 3.0 licence, by Les Meloures at lb.wikipedia.

The line would first cross the Wessem – Nederweert Canal alongside the existing bridge at Panheel Lock, and use a new bridge over the A2 motorway. At Ittervoort, the line would join the Napoleonic road, the N273: here too the old station survives, as Café De Tramhalte. Alternatively, the line could avoid Thorn, following the canal from Panheel, and joining the the N273 north of Ittervoort. (In that case, there could be a branch to Thorn, with local services from Roermond).

Click to enlarge: tram alignments near Thorn…

1500 m from Ittervoort, the road crosses the border. This has consequences for the tram line, because of Flemish planning policies: the road is lined with ribbon development (lintbebouwing). The old village cores are usually away from the road, but some villages have secondary clusters of shops at the crossroads. The road itself is wide, but this low-density urban strip is difficult to serve by public transport. To avoid the driveways, the tram would run in the centre of the road.

At the first village on the Belgian side, Kessenich, the old station is intact: the new tram stop in Kessenich would be further south. Geistingen and Ophoven would also have one stop each.

In Maaseik, about 24 km from Roermond, the tram would use the Burgemeester Phillipslaan, to bypass the narrow streets of the centre. There would be a stop north of the centre (Venlosesteenweg), and at the redeveloped square (Bospoort) on its western side. (There would be no interchange with the proposed high-speed line Eindhoven – Sittard).

Maaseik to Lanaken

South of Maaseik, the N78 is very wide, especially the section to the motorway junction at Maasmechelen. The volume of traffic would requires full separation, with tram stops on viaducts at major crossroads. The tram would serve Elen, Rotem, Dilsen, Lanklaar, and possibly Rachels.

Eisden has a clear centre: the tram would stop near the main square (just off the N78). South of Eisden, the road bends to cross the Zuid-Willemsvaart canal. The bridge is too narrow for a tram, and in any case a parallel tunnel is a better option, since the terrain slopes upward.

After this bend, at the northern edge of Mechelen, the tram would cross the proposed regional rail line Hasselt – Genk – Sittard. This is the only rail interchange on the tram line: the station would be on viaduct above the N78, about 300 m from the Zuid-Willemsvaart canal.

Click to enlarge: new rail line from Eisden across the Maas…

In Mechelen, the N78 itself forms the main street: this is the centre of the municipality Maasmechelen, which includes Eisden. The tram would stop at the town hall and shops, close to the Helix campus (regional school cluster). The tram line would then pass the junction with the E314 motorway: a separate alignment is necessary here.

The tram would stop at the industrial zone south of the motorway, at Rekem, and at Neerharen. The original line of the Napoleonic road is then cut by the Briegden – Neerharen link canal, and the present N78 turns south-west along this canal, just outside Lanaken. The tram to Maastricht would not serve Lanaken, but it could have a 2-km branch into the centre, with local service from Maasmechelen.

Into Maastricht

The tram line would cross the Briegden – Neerharen canal, on a new tram bridge, and join the N766, the continuation of the Napoleonic road. It would have one stop in Smeermaas, just before the Netherlands border.

Click to enlarge: tram bypassing Lanaken toward Maastricht…

South of Smeermaas, the original metre-gauge line ran due south into Maastricht, along the Brusselseweg. The new tram would turn south-east alongside the rail alignment (line 20), and cross the Zuid-Willemsvaart canal, south of the Maas link canal. It would then run as an urban tram into Maastricht, along the Boscherweg and Boschstraat, with 2 or 3 stops.

At the northern edge of Maastricht (Boschpoort), the tram would again cross the rail line from Hasselt. The planned tram from Hasselt will not use the existing Maas railway bridge: it will run on street, via the Maasboulevard. A route via the Boschstraat, into the central square (Markt), would be better, and that is the suggested route for the Maas west bank line.

Click to enlarge: Maas left bank tram, in Maastricht…

In both options, the tram would cross the river via the Wilhelminabrug. The high-speed line Maastricht – Hasselt – Antwerpen (proposed here earlier), would have its own route in tunnel under Maas.

The tram line would terminate at the existing bus station, in front of Maastricht Station. The Maaseik – Maastricht section would be 31 km long, and the whole line about 55 km. With about 26 stops (2 km apart on average), a journey time of 90 minutes should be possible.