On Monday 3 April 2023, an impressive intervention took place on the Regional Express Network line in Lillois for Infrabel, the Belgian railway infrastructure manager and contracting authority for the project and Infrabel’s project supervisor TUC RAIL. Three very imposing prefabricated elements, each weighing 800 tonnes, were positioned by a Kamag transporter truck in place of an existing bridge and another prefabricated element of 850 tonnes was ripped in place of another existing bridge. Operations which had to be carried out meticulously and precisely, under strict time schedule.
Infrabel had closed the line for 9 days, so BESIX could conduct a series of works to either extend or replace three existing tunnel structures. Three passageways under the railway tracks had to be transformed, following several months of preparation by many parties.
- At the Jacquier bridge, three prefabricated elements, each weighing 800 tonnes, have been positioned in the right place by a transporter truck. The total operation was carried out in 36 hours. Each element was 10 metre long, 12 metre wide, and 12 metre high.
- At the Hayettes bridge, one 23-metre-long, 6-metre-high, and 5.5-metre-wide prefabricated element, weighing approx. 850 tonnes, was ripped in position in only two hours’ time on a 40-metre stretch. It took another 8 hours to perform the installation of the rails necessary for the ripping and their dismantling after the operation.
“It took 2 hours to rip the concrete mastodont into place over 40 metres and several weeks to prepare this intervention, with all the parties involved knowing exactly what to do hour by hour, almost minute by minute. We had previously built the prefabricated element right next to the tracks. The operation on 3 April consisted of ripping it into its final position, a meticulous undertaking!” - Damien Noël, Project Manager, BESIX.
- At the Font Saint-Martin bridge, the tunnel was extended before the closing of the line and BESIX executed the waterproofing work of the old structure.
Altogether, works conducted by BESIX on site included dismantling the catenaries and rails, excavation works, dismantling the tunnel structures and positioning the new structures, waterproofing works, backfilling, and load-bearing tests, and then the actual reinstallation of the railway infrastructure, including ballast, levelling, track laying and various related works , such as welding.
“Infrabel, the contracting authority for the project and its project supervisor TUC RAIL could count on BESIX’s engineering team to help solve technical problems. Key for the success of the operation were the meticulous preparation and precise planning, where we had to anticipate possible hick-ups. We also thank our Client and our partners for the good and trustful collaboration, which is also essential for such challenges.” - Jean-François Deswijsen, Operation Manager Wallonia-Luxembourg, BESIX.
In Lillois, in the Province of Walloon Brabant, in Belgium, BESIX is building new infrastructure for the regional express rail network, the RER (‘Réseau Express Régional’), for Infrabel and TUC RAIL. In recent years, BESIX has contributed to many of the infrastructures of this network, in particular via BESIX, and affiliates Socogetra and Franki Foundations. The RER requires the widening of railway platforms from two to four tracks, which has an impact on all civil works, including existing tunnels, bridges, and hydraulic works.
