Overview
- Demissionary state secretary Thierry Aartsen and Belgian mobility minister Jean‑Luc Crucke signed the declaration in Antwerp to intensify cross‑border rail cooperation.
- The exploratory phase will compare building new track with launching a new service over existing lines, and it will involve provincial authorities and rail infrastructure managers.
- Officials aim to present more concrete agreements by summer 2026, and the ministers committed to meet at least annually on the rail dossier.
- No funding has been allocated for the proposed connection, according to Aartsen’s spokesperson.
- The initiative is part of a broader agenda that also reviews the Gent–Terneuzen freight link and a potential revival of the ‘IJzeren Rijn’ corridor.