THE introduction of the “three-country train” that will connect Aachen in Germany with Maastricht in the Netherlands and Liège in Belgium has been further delayed after Arriva Netherlands encountered “unexpected technical challenges” during work to retrofit Stadler Flirt3 EMUs with ETCS onboard equipment.
The new service was due begin with the December timetable change this year, but these technical difficulties have meant that the application for the Authorisation to Place on the Market (APOM) required to introduce the modified fleet was submitted late to the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA).
As a result, ERA will not be able to decide on the APOM application before the forthcoming timetable change on December 10. Arriva Netherlands now expects to introduce the new RE18 regional express service on the 78km Aachen - Maastricht - Liège route some time in the first half of 2024.
In the meantime, Belgian National Railways (SNCB) will continue to operate the service between Maastricht and Liège Guillemins, and Arriva Netherlands between Maastricht, Heerlen in the Netherlands and Aachen main station.
The three-country service was originally due to start in December 2018. However, national safety authority NSA Rail Belgium refused authorisation for the three-voltage Stadler Flirt3 EMUs to operate on the Infrabel network as they had not been equipped with ETCS.
Arriva then started the project to equip the fleet of eight EMUs with ETCS, including Specific Transmission Modules (STM) for legacy signalling systems on the German, Belgian and Dutch networks.
The new service will be operated in Belgium under a contract agreed by Arriva Nederland and SNCB, using SNCB’s operating license and staffed by its personnel between Maastricht and Liège Guillemins.
