New rail connection to Zaventem planned

1 April 2005

BRUSSELS – A new rail link to Zaventem international airport just outside Brussels may be built if Belgian authorities can drum up enough financing for the project, it was reported Friday.

Johan Vande Lanotte, the federal minister in charge of public enterprises, and Luc Lallemand, the administrator in charge of rail infrastructure manager Infrabel, have launched an appeal for financing to 24 potential partners including Dexia and Fortis banks.

The entire project is estimated to cost about EUR 508 million, of which EUR 227.7 million would come from the public sector and the remainder from private sources.

Diabolo, as the project is known, foresees the building of a new rail line on two tracks along the E19 motorway connecting Schaerbeek and Mechelen, while another rail line would link the Liege-Louvain-Brussels axis to the airport.

Subject: Belgian news