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The Schuman-Josaphat tunnel is a 1250m double track rail tunnel being constructed in Brussels.. It will link line 161 (Brussels-Namur) just after Meiser station and line 26 (Halle-Vilvoorde) at the Cinquantenaire tunnel just before Schuman station. The line will be numbered L161A. A key component of the Brussels RER project, it will pass beneath avenue Plasky, place de Jamblinne de Meux and the Cortenbergh road tunnel . The position of the tunnel in the Brussels rail network is shown in the simplified map on the right. Benefits of the project include:
- reducing the journey time from the European quarter (Schuman and Luxemburg stations) to the airport from half and hour to less than 15 minutes by opening a direct route and avoid having to change at Brussels North station
- opening a parallel route through Brussels to take pressure off the saturated Brussels North - Brussels South line
Project Details
The project began in June 2008 and is planned to take 1645 days to complete. Construction will take place in two phases. First, the shell was dug out finishing in late 2011, and second equipping the tunnel with track etc. from late 2010 to late 2013. The tunnel should become operational in 2013 and the RER system in 2016. The cost of the tunnel is estimated at 210 million euros, funded through Beliris, a joint venture between the Belgian Federation and the Brussels Region. The project is also managed by Infrabel
Unusual construction techniques were used to limit disturbance to local residents and protect the appearance of Brussels. It was decided to carry out the work without opening the tunnel from the surface so the digging is being done without a Tunnel boring machine, but rather by hand or using small excavators. The Cortenbergh road tunnel was built with extra deep foundations to accommodate a future rail tunnel beneath it. Elsewhere the tunnel passes close beneath the cellars of buildings, and in any case delivering a TBM in central Brussels would have created great disruption. Similar techniques were used during the construction of the underground junction passing under the Antwerp Central railway station.
References
- "Le tunnel Schuman-Josaphat" (PDF) (in French). Infrabel. Retrieved 14 Feb 2012.
- "Schuman-Josaphat tunnel". Infrabel. Retrieved 14 Feb 2012.
- "Schuman-Josaphat tunnel" (in French). Retrieved 9 Mar 2012.
- "The Regional Express Network". Retrieved 19 Mar 2012.