Brugge - Brussels

[Scotrail314209]

Hey all, when travelling between Oostende and Brussels a few months ago, I noticed that there was a lot of track work taking place on the stretch between Brugge and Brussels, with stations being constructed as trains were passing. On one of the Sundays we also got diverted via another route. Does anyone know what specifically is happening?

Also how fast are the trains on this section, I’ve noticed they seem a bit slow.

 

[Spoorslag '70]

Line 50A between Gent-Sint-Pieters and Brugge is being extended to four tracks throughout (vice two today), in connection with an increase in both freight and passenger traffic. The station are being rebuilt as a result of this.

 

[dutchflyer]

Between Ost-Brg-Gent there are no feasible alternative routings. In fact this whole line was opened shortly before WW2 as a all-new direct line (look at a real map) to relieve the old meandering lines serving many more settlements. That is still the case between Gent-BRU, the ´new´ĺine is nonstop direct but some trains will divert and serve Denderleeuw (about halfway, just south of it, junction for the Kortrijk line). The oldline is 50 (all Belgian raillines have a nmbr that is also used in old timetables, laws, leaflets etc, even in most newsppr news) and the new one became 50A. The old line runs via Wetteren (junction for direct to Mechelen)-Aalst (fairly big town)-crosses the new line-Denderleeuw-then over the line again and via Bru suburbia to Brussel north via Laken, whereas the nw line runs into BRU-south. Your rerouting must have used this or one half of it.
The old line Brugge-Gent ran via Eeklo, but Brg-Eeklo is now bus, or museumtrain/weekends part of it. From Eeklo hourly only weekdays (or at least that was so). De flemish bus deLIJN runs an hourly bus along that line from Brugge to Gent (which is also an oldtime song of Jacques Brel) in 1h30m or 1,40 for its standard fare of 3 eur (1,60 on a prepurchased LIJNkaart).
The max speed is in line with about the whole of the normal BE network. The only HS are those used by Eur* and Thalys and from Antwerpen to NL also by the BeNeLux trains. Perhaps there were special speed restrictions in force due to those works.
A side note: this was also about the first stretch of Belgian Motorway to be built, also before ww2 it hink and had on very busy sunseekerdays even ONE way on both sides-to sea mornings, to city late evenings! Those wanting the other way had to use the old side roads!

 

[Scotrail314209]

Between Ost-Brg-Gent there are no feasible alternative routings. In fact this whole line was opened shortly before WW2 as a all-new direct line (look at a real map) to relieve the old meandering lines serving many more settlements. That is still the case between Gent-BRU, the ´new´ĺine is nonstop direct but some trains will divert and serve Denderleeuw (about halfway, just south of it, junction for the Kortrijk line). The oldline is 50 (all Belgian raillines have a nmbr that is also used in old timetables, laws, leaflets etc, even in most newsppr news) and the new one became 50A. The old line runs via Wetteren (junction for direct to Mechelen)-Aalst (fairly big town)-crosses the new line-Denderleeuw-then over the line again and via Bru suburbia to Brussel north via Laken, whereas the nw line runs into BRU-south. Your rerouting must have used this or one half of it.
The old line Brugge-Gent ran via Eeklo, but Brg-Eeklo is now bus, or museumtrain/weekends part of it. From Eeklo hourly only weekdays (or at least that was so). De flemish bus deLIJN runs an hourly bus along that line from Brugge to Gent (which is also an oldtime song of Jacques Brel) in 1h30m or 1,40 for its standard fare of 3 eur (1,60 on a prepurchased LIJNkaart).
The max speed is in line with about the whole of the normal BE network. The only HS are those used by Eur* and Thalys and from Antwerpen to NL also by the BeNeLux trains. Perhaps there were special speed restrictions in force due to those works.
A side note: this was also about the first stretch of Belgian Motorway to be built, also before ww2 it hink and had on very busy sunseekerdays even ONE way on both sides-to sea mornings, to city late evenings! Those wanting the other way had to use the old side roads!

I think we used some of it, as we still ended up in Brussels South.

I do remember on the first day I got there, I made the mistake of going the much slower way to Oostende which took nearly 3 hours. I seen Oostende and thought that must’ve been the train.

 

[MarcVD]

Between Ost-Brg-Gent there are no feasible alternative routings.

Correct for Oostende-Brugge but not for Brugge-Gent. There is a very good alternate route via line 66 from Brugge to Lichtervelde, then line 73 to Deinze, and from there line 75 to Gent. Only problem is that the Deinze-Gent section is quite busy. Otherwise it's a 120 km/h double track route with short block sections, bi-directional signalling, and only one or two regular trains per hour, all the way.

Speed on Oostende-Brussels is currently 140 km/h mostly, with some sections already upgraded to 160. It will be 200 once the quadrupling works are finished, for the two central tracks, in order to have a mostly continuous (large stations excluded) 200 km/h line between Brugge and Liege. It also requires a rebuild of the catenary system, as the traditional SNCB model only allows 160 km/h, because only the contact wires are constant-tensioned.

 

[MarcVD]

I do remember on the first day I got there, I made the mistake of going the much slower way to Oostende which took nearly 3 hours. I seen Oostende and thought that must’ve been the train.

You've taken a train Brussels-Denderleeuw-Oudenaarde-Kortrijk-Roeselaere-Torhout-Brugge-Oostende. It was never intended for end to end use, but signage was quite poor so a lot of people got caught. Look at a map with those city names to see the wonderful detour you have made... I also did it, but on purpose !

 

[Scotrail314209]

You've taken a train Brussels-Denderleeuw-Oudenaarde-Kortrijk-Roeselaere-Torhout-Brugge-Oostende. It was never intended for end to end use, but signage was quite poor so a lot of people got caught. Look at a map with those city names to see the wonderful detour you have made... I also did it, but on purpose !

I must say, it was a nice scenic journey. Quite cool to be passing through quaint little towns. The stock was also very retro.

 

[Scotrail314209]

Correct for Oostende-Brugge but not for Brugge-Gent. There is a very good alternate route via line 66 from Brugge to Lichtervelde, then line 73 to Deinze, and from there line 75 to Gent. Only problem is that the Deinze-Gent section is quite busy. Otherwise it's a 120 km/h double track route with short block sections, bi-directional signalling, and only one or two regular trains per hour, all the way.

Speed on Oostende-Brussels is currently 140 km/h mostly, with some sections already upgraded to 160. It will be 200 once the quadrupling works are finished, for the two central tracks, in order to have a mostly continuous (large stations excluded) 200 km/h line between Brugge and Liege. It also requires a rebuild of the catenary system, as the traditional SNCB model only allows 160 km/h, because only the contact wires are constant-tensioned.

I can't wait for it to be 200km/h, as I'm assuming it would result in a journey time deduction between Oostende and Brussels.

 

[gysev]

Between Ost-Brg-Gent there are no feasible alternative routings. In fact this whole line was opened shortly before WW2 as a all-new direct line (look at a real map) to relieve the old meandering lines serving many more settlements.

Only the Bruxelles-Midi - Gent section was new, opening in stages between 1926 and 1932. The "old" line started in Bruxelles-Nord.

The old line Brugge-Gent ran via Eeklo, but Brg-Eeklo is now bus, or museumtrain/weekends part of it.

This is NOT correct. Between Gent and Oostende, the present line was opened in 1838 and it is one of the oldest main lines in Europe. The line via Eeklo has always been a single track branch line and was opened in stages between 1861 and 1863 by a private company.

During engineering works, trains are often rerouted and mostly the aditional travel time is only 10 tot 15 minutes.