The €841m PPP project involved the construction of two 5.5km single-bore tunnels beneath the river, which are the longest railway tunnels in Belgium, together with 4.3km of cut-and-cover tunnel.
The installation of track, signalling, and catenary is already underway and the line will be commissioned in September 2014.
The contract to build, finance, and maintain the line was awarded in 2008 to the Locorail consortium of BAM PPP, Netherlands, CFE, Belgium, and Vinci Concessions, France. Construction was outsourced to Locobouw, a consortium of MBG, Vinci, CEI-De Meyer, and Wayss & Freitag.
Infrabel will pay Locorail an annual availability fee of €50m during the 38-year period of the concession, after which it will become the owner of the assets.
