With around 22,000 passengers per day, the Maaslijn is one of the most used regional train lines in the Netherlands and the busiest railway line in the province of Limburg. However, the line is mostly single-track, not electrified, and therefore neither meets current capacity requirements nor addresses the CO2 footprint adequately. Swietelsky Rail Benelux is renewing the heavily trafficked line by the end of 2027 – setting new standards in railway construction as well as in nature and species protection.
Eight million passengers travel annually on the railway line, which was first put into operation in 1883 between Nijmegen and Roermond, making the so-called Maaslijn one of the most frequented railway lines in the Netherlands. However, the mostly single-track line has so far only been able to be operated with diesel locomotives, which does not meet today's climate protection requirements or passenger capacity needs. Therefore, Swietelsky Rail Benelux has been commissioned to renew the approximately 88-kilometer-long line to make the Maaslijn a much more environmentally friendly alternative to the car.
In addition to the complete electrification of the line, extensive track construction measures are also on the agenda: In four sections along the Maaslijn – in Cuijk, Boxmeer, Venray, and Reuver – the line will be expanded to double track to allow trains to pass each other without issues. Furthermore, we will install new switches, increase the curve radii to enable an increase in speed from 100 to 140 kilometers per hour, and renew existing tracks as well as more than twenty level crossings for enhanced safety. In Molenhoek, the viaduct that crosses the line will be replaced by a new, wider viaduct that creates more space for pedestrians and cyclists.
Additionally, the entire line will be electrified with overhead lines and nine large substations in Mook, Cuijk, Boxmeer, Vierlingsbeek, Venray, Melderslo, Tegelen, Reuver, and Swalmen. This means that soon no diesel locomotives will run on the line, but significantly more sustainable electric trains, making rail traffic between Nijmegen and Roermond faster, more reliable, and environmentally friendly starting in 2028.
The topic of the environment is also a significant concern for us at Swietelsky during the renewal of the Maaslijn, extending beyond the actual construction measures and electrification in a very special way. The Maaslijn route also passes through several nature reserves: A diverse flora and fauna, including rare and endangered animal and plant species, thrives on both sides of the railway embankments.
In conjunction with extensive ecological research, we are therefore implementing numerous measures to carefully and responsibly mitigate the impacts of railway construction and sustainably improve the living conditions of various species for the future: For bats that use tree avenues for nighttime navigation like highways, additional trees will be planted. Special protective measures will be taken for buzzards that nest near the line, as well as for the numerous sand lizards, slow worms, and badgers in the region. Rare butterfly species such as the Brown Oak Moth will also benefit from the renewal of the Maaslijn, as new habitats will be created for them through the planting of young oaks.
