Belgian railway line 50

Belgian railway line 50
A train at Denderleeuw station in 1987
Overview
StatusOperational
LocaleBelgium
Termini
Service
Services
Belgian railway line 50
Line from Brussels-South
0.0
Brussels-North
Line to Namur
Line to Antwerp and Leuven
Brussels–Scheldt Maritime Canal
to Brussels-West
3.2
Bockstael
from Brussels-West
4.1
Jette
to Dendermonde
7.6
Berchem-Sainte-Agathe
8.9
Groot-Bijgaarden
11.0
Dilbeek
13.7
Sint-Martens-Bodegem
16.7
Ternat
20.3
Essene-Lombeek
Line GhentBrussels-South
21.9
Liedekerke
River Dender
from Ath
23.8
Denderleeuw
to Oudenaarde
Line Brussels-SouthGhent
26.7
Erembodegem
River Dender
River Dender
29.7
Aalst
to Zottegem
34.5
Lede
37.0
Serskamp
from Dendermonde
40.3
Schellebelle
43.1
Wetteren
46.9
Kwatrecht
from Brussels-South
from Geraardsbergen
49.5
Melle
Ringvaart
52.6
Merelbeke
Line to Antwerp
River Scheldt
Line from Brussels-South
55.6
Gent-Sint-Pieters
Line to Kortrijk
Line to Bruges
Operator(s)National Railway Company of Belgium
History
Opened1837-1856
Technical
Line length56 km (35 mi)
Number of tracksdouble track
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Electrification3 kV DC
Route map

Line from Brussels-South
0.0
Brussels-North
Line to Namur
Line to Antwerp and Leuven
Brussels–Scheldt Maritime Canal
to Brussels-West
3.2
Bockstael
from Brussels-West
4.1
Jette
to Dendermonde
7.6
Berchem-Sainte-Agathe
8.9
Groot-Bijgaarden
11.0
Dilbeek
13.7
Sint-Martens-Bodegem
16.7
Ternat
20.3
Essene-Lombeek
Line GhentBrussels-South
21.9
Liedekerke
River Dender
from Ath
23.8
Denderleeuw
to Oudenaarde
Line Brussels-SouthGhent
26.7
Erembodegem
River Dender
River Dender
29.7
Aalst
to Zottegem
34.5
Lede
37.0
Serskamp
from Dendermonde
40.3
Schellebelle
43.1
Wetteren
46.9
Kwatrecht
from Brussels-South
from Geraardsbergen
49.5
Melle
Ringvaart
52.6
Merelbeke
Line to Antwerp
River Scheldt
Line from Brussels-South
55.6
Gent-Sint-Pieters
Line to Kortrijk
Line to Bruges

The Belgian railway line 50 is a railway line in Belgium connecting Brussels to Ghent. The first section between Ghent and Schellebelle was finished in 1837, offering a connection to Brussels through Dendermonde and Mechelen. The section between Schellebelle and Brussels was completed on 1 May 1856.[1]

A section between Ghent and Ostend was completed in 1838 and is named line 50A. Between 1923 and 1933, line 50A was extended to Brussels, which provides a fast connection between Brussels and Ghent.[2] Where the original line 50 enters Brussels from the north, after passing through Aalst, the latter 50A enters Brussels from the south; this allows through trains from the west of the country to the east or vice versa without having to reverse. In 2016, line 50A was widened with two extra tracks, labelled 50C, between Denderleeuw and Brussels; the main reason was the increase in traffic from the GEN/RER commuter trains.[3]

The following stations are located on the original line 50:

A new CERIA/COOVI station [nl] was built in Anderlecht, near the CERIA/COOVI campus; it entered service with the updated schedules on 14 December 2020, with an hourly service by the S3 line of the Brussels Regional Express Network.

  1. ^ "Ligne 50: Bruxelles-Nord - Gent-Sint-Pieters". belrail.be (in French). 9 August 2007.
  2. ^ "Ligne 50A: Bruxelles-Midi - Oostende". belrail.be (in French). 9 August 2007.
  3. ^ "Belgische spoorlijnen". Archived from the original on 2020-02-25. Retrieved 2020-09-14.