BELGIUM is the first medium-sized European country to complete the installation of ERTMS on its national railway. In December 2025, infrastructure manager, Infrabel, completed the nationwide deployment of ETCS across 6399 track-km in just 13 years. Even more remarkably, the programme was delivered on schedule, within budget and without major changes to the original 2011 masterplan.
Infrabel CEO, Benoît Gilson, says the project was successful due to long-term political commitment, stable technical choices, close cooperation with operators and suppliers, and a willingness to move forward without waiting for perfect technical conditions.
The origins of Belgium’s ETCS programme lie in a fatal head-on collision at Buizingen in February 2010 in which 19 people were killed after a train passed a signal at danger (Spad). At the time, Belgium had no nationwide automatic train stop system, and the accident prompted the government to establish a special railway safety commission. Following its recommendations, Belgium decided in June 2011 to equip the entire rail network with ETCS.
The resulting 15-year masterplan was divided into two phases. The first, running until December 2015, focused on accelerating deployment of Belgium’s national TBL1+ protection system alongside ETCS Level 1 Full Supervision on key corridors. Under the second phase, running from January 2016 until December 2025, the programme shifted entirely towards ETCS, deploying a combination of Levels 1 and 2 across the network. The programme officially concluded on December 14 2025.
Gilson emphasises that one of the key lessons from Belgium’s experience was the importance of making decisions early and maintaining them throughout the programme. “Do not wait for the best or latest version,” he says. “It will never come.” Instead, Belgium chose to work with available ETCS versions while ensuring future upgrade possibilities were built into the system architecture.
A core strategic decision was to pursue parallel migration of trackside infrastructure and onboard systems. Rather than waiting until operators had fitted their rolling stock with ETCS, Infrabel adopted a dual-signalling approach in which ETCS was installed alongside existing Class B signalling systems. This enabled ETCS-equipped and non-equipped trains to continue operating across the network during the migration period.
According to Yves Werner, signalling systems manager with Infrabel, this decision was critical in accelerating deployment. Without parallel migration, Belgium might have had to wait five to eight years before commissioning its first ETCS line. Instead, Infrabel was able to begin delivering immediate safety, interoperability and driver ergonomics benefits while progressively decommissioning the oldest national signalling systems.
Network realities
Belgium’s technical strategy reflected the realities of the network and available technology at the time. ETCS Level 1 was selected initially for large stations because GSM-R capacity limitations in 2012 constrained wider Level 2 deployment. ETCS Level 2 also required digital interlockings, meaning only partial rollout was initially realistic. Infrabel therefore prioritised ETCS Level 1 deployment before signing its first ETCS Level 2 contract in 2015.
To accelerate coverage further, Infrabel deployed ETCS Level 1 Limited Supervision on lower-risk secondary lines. These projects could be delivered in as little as six months, compared with one to two years for Level 1 Full Supervision schemes. Werner acknowledges that Limited Supervision has drawbacks, particularly in terms of driver ergonomics and the continued need for national operating rules, but it allowed Belgium to build momentum and extend ETCS coverage across the network.
By the end of 2025 network coverage was complete, albeit using different versions of ETCS (see table). In the run-up to completion, ETCS Level 1 was being deployed at a rate of approximately 200km per year. Meanwhile, 80% of Belgium’s interlockings had been digitalised.
The masterplan had the highest priority within Infrabel, and all management levels were fully engaged.
Infrabel CEO, Benoît Gilson
Standardisation was another important component of the programme. Infrabel adopted common operational and design rules nationwide and created industrial-scale rollout processes supported by dedicated tools. A single signalling projects department was established with strong in-house ETCS expertise to oversee the national deployment programme.
Framework contracts also played a major role. Infrabel signed two framework contracts for ETCS Level 1 and a single contract for ETCS Level 2, providing suppliers with the long-term visibility needed for industrial-scale delivery. Gilson stresses the importance of balanced partnerships with suppliers, demanding delivery commitments while maintaining transparency and avoiding surprises.
At the same time, Infrabel recognised that turnkey projects were unrealistic on a brownfield railway undergoing continuous operational changes. Some activities therefore had to be transferred from suppliers back to Infrabel, with joint task forces established during design phases. Werner says that managing infrastructure modifications, new transitions and reworks became a major challenge throughout implementation.
Human resources were another constraint. ETCS deployment required specialists in design, certification and safety, while industrial processes and ETCS systems themselves took years to mature. Werner says it took approximately eight years to develop industrialised processes and fully functional ETCS systems, resulting in repeated rescheduling during the early years of the programme.
Strong governance structures helped maintain momentum and alignment throughout the project. “The masterplan had the highest priority within Infrabel, and all management levels were fully engaged,” Gilson says. He adds that an ETCS Technical Steering Committee involving national authorities and state-owned railway companies ensured pragmatic decision-making at director level.
“Several external platforms guaranteed the strong involvement of all core stakeholders at the national level including the Ministry of Transport, the National Safety Authority (NSA), Infrabel and the operators,” Gilson says. Dedicated change and safety desk meetings with operators helped coordinate migration issues, while a constructive approach from the NSA simplified project authorisation processes and helped avoid delays.
Political commitment proved equally important. Belgium’s ETCS-only objective was formally reinforced in 2018 through a Royal Decree establishing the goal of a fully ETCS-equipped network by December 2025. In 2017 discussions had already begun between the Ministry of Transport, the NSA and operators to challenge operators’ migration strategies and accelerate onboard deployment.
Although the infrastructure target was achieved in 2025, consultations with the sector in 2023 and 2024 resulted in a limited extension for equipping part of the rolling stock fleet until December 2027. Even so, Belgium achieved substantial progress in vehicle fitting. More than 1500 vehicles were equipped with ETCS by the end of 2025, including 1250 operated by Belgian National Railways (SNCB).
Werner highlights the speed of the onboard migration effort, describing how SNCB was installing ETCS on approximately one train per day. Suppliers delivered ETCS onboard kits while SNCB carried out installation and testing in its own workshops. International passenger trains were almost entirely equipped by 2025, while around 80% of freight locomotives had been fitted.
The programme delivered substantial safety improvements. In 2010 operational safety depended largely on the train driver because no automatic stop system existed nationwide. By 2026, ETCS had introduced network-wide speed and stop control, with over-speeding effectively eliminated and the number of Spads carrying a risk of collision significantly reduced.
Photo: Infrabel
Driver ergonomics improved dramatically as well. Under ETCS Full Supervision, all relevant operational information is displayed directly in the cab through the driver-machine interface, reducing reliance on external signalling and easing driver workload. Gilson says this has resulted in noticeably higher levels of comfort and operational support for drivers.
Operational performance improvements are also emerging. Infrabel reports clearer gains on routes equipped with ETCS Level 2 Full Supervision, particularly at station entrances, exits and junctions where traffic regulation has become more efficient. Network-wide punctuality benefits remain limited for now because of the mixed fleet and coexistence with legacy signalling, but these advantages are expected to become more significant as further migration to Level 2 takes place.
Capacity gains have likewise been recorded, especially on Level 2 Full Supervision routes. However, Infrabel believes larger increases will only be realised once the fleet is fully migrated and Level 2 Full Supervision without lineside signalling is introduced, enabling sub-sectioning and more efficient train separation.
Interoperability and market liberalisation were additional drivers behind the programme. ETCS provides a standardised technology platform based on European Technical Specifications for Interoperability (TSIs), reducing dependence on national signalling systems and simplifying cross-border operations. Infrabel expects this to lower both capital and operating costs over time through reduced asset complexity while simultaneously supporting greater competition and expanded transport services.
Not the end
Despite the success of the masterplan, Infrabel sees the completion of ETCS deployment as the beginning rather than the end of railway digitalisation in Belgium. The infrastructure manager is continuing investment through its Signalling Transformation Roadmap for Innovation, Vision and Efficiency (Strive) programme.
In the short term, priorities include migrating ETCS Level 1 Limited Supervision routes to Full Supervision, digitalising the remaining 20% of mechanical interlockings and addressing growing cybersecurity challenges associated with an increasingly digitalised railway.
Belgium plans to begin progressive deployment of ETCS Level 2 without lineside signalling after 2028, paving the way for more advanced traffic management and automation. Migration to the Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS) is planned from 2032, alongside eventual deployment of Automatic Train Operation (ATO).
Looking back on the programme, both Gilson and Werner emphasise that technology alone was not the decisive factor behind Belgium’s success. Stable political backing, strong governance, clear long-term objectives, industrial-scale delivery methods and constant stakeholder communication were equally important.
Werner concludes that ETCS Level 2 has ultimately proven to be the best long-term choice, even in complex station environments, because it reduces workload, increases capacity and creates the foundation for future innovations such as ATO and operation without lineside signals.
Gilson’s final thought reflects the practical philosophy that underpinned Belgium’s approach throughout the programme: secure the necessary resources, establish a clear plan, communicate continuously with stakeholders, and “don’t wait for all the stars to be aligned.”
