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Transportation In Belgium





RAILWAYS

''Main article'': Rail Transport In Belgium

Total of 3,437 km (2,446 km electrified; 2,563 km double track) all on Standard Gauge of 1.435 m (1998).

NMBS/SNCB is the National Railway Company of Belgium.

Trains, unlike road traffic, run on the left.

City with (''De Lijn''), Charleroi (''TEC''), Ghent (''De Lijn''). Some heavy Metro infrastructures were built in Antwerp and in Charleroi and its suburbs, but these are currently used by Light Rail vehicles, and their conversion to full Metro is not envisaged at present due to lack of funds.


Rail links with adjacent countries



ROADS


''total:''
149,018 km (2002)

''highways:''
1,729 km

''regional roads:''
12,610 km

''others:''
134,679 km


Highways

See Also: List of motorways in Belgium



The highways {Link without Title} in Belgium are marked with a letter A and a number. Most often however the European numbering system is used. There is however not always a one-on-one relationship between the two numbering systems along the whole length of the highways.



Ringways

The ringways {Link without Title} (or orbital roads) around bigger cities have their proper nomenclature. The names start with a R then a first digit indicating the (old)province, and sometimes a second digit to further differentiate in between different ringways.

Some major examples are:
  • and R20 are parts of inner ringways arround Brussels .


  • is the inner ring way around Charleroi . The outer ring is the only ring in Belgium to be a full ring (using part of the E42 ), and the inner ring is counterclockwise-only.

  • is the inner ring way around Ghent

  • is the inner ring way around Kortrijk

  • R23 is the ringway around Leuven

  • R30 is the ringwau around Bruges



National roads

The national roads {Link without Title} are marked with a letter N and a number.

The principal national roads diverge from Brussels in clockwisely:

Secondary national roads intersect these.

National roads have an N plus 1, 2 or 3 digits. The National roads with 3 digits are provincial roads. Their first number indicates the province:
  • N1xx Province of Antwerpen

  • N2xx Province of Vlaams-Brabant

  • N3xx Province of West-Vlaanderen

  • N4xx Province of Oost-Vlaanderen

  • N5xx Province of Brabant-Wallon

  • N6xx Province of Liège

  • N7xx Provinve of Limburg

  • N8xx Province of Luxembourg

  • N9xx Province of Namur



WATERWAYS

2,043 km (1,532 km in regular commercial use)


PIPELINES

Crude oil 161 km; petroleum products 1,167 km; natural gas 3,300 km


PORTS AND HARBOURS



Sea ports

Antwerp (one of the world's busiest ports) Port of Antwerp

Zeebrugge (Port suburb of Bruges ) Port of Bruges

Ghent Port of Ghent

Ostend Port of Ostend



Main inland ports

Brussels (also accessible for ocean-going ships) Port of Brussels

Liège (one of the busiest in Europe) Port of Liège



European portuary context

European Sea Ports Organisation ESPO

European Federation of Inland Ports FEPI

Inland Navigation Europe INE

2002 ranking of world ports by tonnage and by container volume (in TEU) Port ranking


MERCHANT MARINE


''total:''
22 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 35,075 GRT/57,347 DWT

''ships by type:''
cargo 7, chemical tanker 8, petroleum tanker 7 (1999 est.)

AIRPORTS

''Main article: List Of Airports In Belgium .''

42 (1999 est.)


with paved runways


''total:''
24

''over 3,047 m:''
6, including Brussels International Airport .

''2,438 to 3,047 m:''
8

''1,524 to 2,437 m:''
3

''914 to 1,523 m:''
1

''under 914 m:''
6 (1999 est.)


with unpaved runways


''total:''
18

''914 to 1,523 m:''
2

''under 914 m:''
16 (1999 est.)


Heliports

1 (1999.)


REFERENCES

  • 2000



SEE ALSO