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Railtracking

Line 150 Lesse

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Line 150 Lesse

Information

In August 2007 I did a cycling tour through the ardennes following the railway lines. I headed my way down from the Netherlands to Aachen, via line 48 downwards into the ardennes. Then towards the Meuse river via line 163 and 150. Then I headed back home following line 128 and 126.
Line 150 was an easy railway to follow since there is a cycle track build on it. I lost the route shortly in Rochefort, it is a beautiful track to bike.

History

Because of the many bridges and tunnels it took a staggering 14 years to complete this part of line 150. It was an important railway foor the Belgian State company. It was a main transport line for iron ore and cokes to avoid using railways of the competition. After the second world war, when all railway companies in Belgium got nationalised this wasn't important anymore and the line lost its importance.
In 1959 passenger traffic ended. On the part from Houyet to Hour-Havanne freight traffic ended the same year and the track was broken up in 1972. The remaining piece of the line continued to be used for freight traffic untill 1978. It was demolished in 1985. On the track between Rochefort and Jemelle a monorail was build for experiments with a guided bus. In 2007 everything has been reconverted into a cycle track.

Rating3

Built: 1880-1894
Abandoned: 1978
Visited by TX: 2007
Demolished: 1985
Reuse: -

Length: 23,1 km


Line number: 150

Map of the railway

overzichtskaart

Sources

  1. Wikipedia
  2. [Offline] Wim de Ridder's Naslagwerk Belgische Spoorlijnen
  3. Naslagwerk Paul Kevers Belgische spoorlijnen

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