Editing Transport in Belgium (section)

==Railways==
{{Main|Rail transport in Belgium}} {{see also|High-speed rail in Belgium}}

[[File:Noorderkempen shuttle.JPG|thumb|280px|A common Belgian train.]]

[[File:TGV-PBKA-4307-et-ICE-4604-bruxelles-midi-30-10-2011-fws.jpg|thumb|280px|High-speed trains in the [[Brussels-South railway station]].]]

Rail transport in Belgium was historically managed by the [[National Railway Company of Belgium]], known as SNCB in French and NMBS in Dutch. In 2005, the public company was split into 2 companies: [[Infrabel]], which manages the rail network and SNCB/NMBS itself, which manages the freight and passenger services.  There is a total of {{convert|3536|km|0}}, ({{convert|2563|km|0|abbr=on}} double track (as of 1998)), of which {{convert|2950|km|0|abbr=on}} are electrified, mainly at 3,000 volts DC but with {{convert|351|km|0|abbr=on}} at 25&nbsp;kV 50&nbsp;Hz AC (2004) and all on [[standard gauge]] of {{RailGauge|sg}}. In 2004 the National Railway Company of Belgium, carried 178.4 million passengers a total of 8,676 million passenger-kilometres. Due to the high population density, operations are relatively profitable, so tickets are cheap and the frequency of services is high. The SNCB/NMBS is continually updating its rolling stock.{{citation needed|date=June 2015}}

The network currently includes [[High-speed rail in Belgium|four high speed lines]], three operating up to {{convert|300|km/h|0|abbr=on}}, and one up to {{convert|260|km/h|0|abbr=on}}. [[HSL 1]] runs from just south of Brussels to the French border, where it continues to [[Lille]], and from there to [[Paris]] or [[London]]. [[HSL 2]] runs from [[Leuven]] to [[Liège]]. [[HSL 3]] continues this route from Liège to the German border near [[Aachen]]. [[HSL 4]] runs from Antwerp to [[Rotterdam]] by meeting [[HSL-Zuid]] at the border with [[Netherlands]].

Electrification is at [[List of railway electrification systems|3&nbsp;kV DC]], with the exception of the new high-speed lines, and of two recently electrified lines in the south of the country which are at [[List of railway electrification systems|25&nbsp;kV AC]]. Trains, contrary to tram and road traffic, run on the left.

===Rail links with adjacent countries===
[[File:Hslbenelux.png|thumb|High-speed rail in Belgium and the Netherlands]]

* [[Rail transport in France|France]] — voltage change 3&nbsp;kV DC – 25&nbsp;kV AC
** [[LGV 1]] —  voltage remains at [[25 kV AC railway electrification|25&nbsp;kV AC]].
** via [[France]] to the [[United Kingdom|UK]] on [[HSL 1]], [[LGV 1]], [[Channel Tunnel]] and [[High Speed 1|CTRL (Channel Tunnel Rail Link)]] —  voltage remains at [[25 kV AC railway electrification|25&nbsp;kV AC]].
* [[Rail transport in Germany|Germany]] —  voltage change 3&nbsp;kV DC – 15&nbsp;kV AC
** [[HSL 3]] —  voltage remains at [[25 kV AC railway electrification|25&nbsp;kV AC]].
* [[Rail transport in the Netherlands|Netherlands]] —  voltage change 3&nbsp;kV DC – 1500&nbsp;V DC
** [[HSL-Zuid]] —  voltage remains at [[25 kV AC railway electrification|25&nbsp;kV AC]].
* [[Rail transport in Luxembourg|Luxembourg]] —  no voltage change at the border (the line Hatrival (Libramont)-Luxembourg is at 25&nbsp;kV AC and the line Gouvy-Luxembourg is at 25&nbsp;kV AC)

===Urban rail===
{{main|Brussels RER}}
An urban commuter rail network, Brussels RER ({{langx|fr|Réseau express régional Bruxellois}}, {{langx|nl|Gewestelijk ExpresNet}}), is operational in the Brussels-Capital Region and surrounding areas.

===Metros and light rail===
{{see also|Trams in Europe}}
In Belgium an extensive system of tram-like local railways called ''[[Vicinal tramway|vicinal or buurtspoor]]'' lines crossed the country in the first half of the 20th century, and had a greater route length than the main-line [[railway]] system. The only survivors of the vicinal/buurtspoor system are the [[Belgian coast tram|Kusttram]] (covering almost the entire coast from France to the Netherlands, being the longest tram line in the world) and some sections of the [[Métro Léger de Charleroi|Charleroi lightrail system]]. Urban tram networks exist in Antwerp (the [[Antwerp Pre-metro]]), [[Ghent]] and Brussels (the [[Brussels trams]]), and are gradually being extended. The only [[rapid transit]] system in Belgium is the [[Brussels Metro]]. Some heavy [[rapid transit|metro]] infrastructures were built in Brussels, Antwerp and the Charleroi area, but these are currently used by [[light rail]] vehicles, and their conversion to full [[rapid transit|metro]] is not envisaged at present due to lack of funds.

Regional transport in Belgium is operated by regional companies: [[De Lijn]] in [[Flanders]] operates the Kusttram and the Antwerp pre-metro and tram, and the tram in Gent, as well as a bus network both urban and interurban, [[Société Régionale Wallonne du Transport|TEC]] in [[Wallonia]] operates the Charleroi lightrail system as well as a bus network and [[Brussels Intercommunal Transport Company|MIVB/STIB]] in the [[Brussels Capital-Region]] operates the Brussels metro as well as the Brussels tram and bus network. Despite this regional organization, some bus and tram routes operated by STIB/MIVB go beyond the regional border, and some bus routes operated by TEC or De Lijn transport passengers from the Flemish or Walloon regions to the capital city or in the other regions.