New railway closed after 5 years
A railway especially built for freight traffic between Lanaken and Maastricht will be closed again, after just 5 years. The link cost 33.5 million euros and was created to supply a paper mill. However, the plant hardly made use of the railway, and Infrabel, the company responsible for rail infrastructure, has decided to stop maintenance.
Lanaken, in Limburg province, was linked to the Dutch city of Maastricht after it had received a new terminal. However, the past five years hardly saw any trains running between both cities. The management of the Lanaken goods terminal also decided to throw in the towel, which triggered Infrabel's decision to stop maintenance. This puts the line out of service.
The good news is that the rail link can be opened again, if needed, without major problems, as the rails and the sleepers are made of strong, lasting material.