Genk Cargo Connect to Get an Electric Rail Connection by 2028

Genk Cargo Connect plans to fully electrify the rail connection to the port terminals in Genk. By 2028, the first electric freight train should be able to enter the terminal directly. According to the project’s initiators, this will make Genk Cargo Connect the first inland terminal in Belgium with a direct electric rail connection.

The project will cost approximately 1.4 million euros is being invested in the project. About 60 percent of that amount is being financed by European funding.

No more locomotive changes needed

Currently, freight trains arriving at the Genk terminal still have to switch from an electric locomotive to a diesel locomotive. The reason for this is that the final rail link to the terminal has not yet been electrified.

Genk Cargo Connect aims to change that by building a spur line off the already electrified railroad line 21C.

As a result, electric freight trains from various parts of Europe must be able to travel directly to the terminal. This would eliminate the need to change locomotives on the final leg of the journey.

This should not only save time but also reduce the costs of freight transport.

A Key Link in International Freight Transport

This investment is particularly attractive for international freight trains. In several European countries, freight is already largely transported using electric locomotives.

Genk also receives goods from abroad. One example is rice that is transported by rail from northern Italy to Genk.

According to VRT NWS, the annual figure is approximately 80,000 metric tons of rice. From Genk, the cargo is then transported further via the Albert Canal.

European aid

The project will cost a total of just over 1.4 million euros. Approximately 60 percent of that amount comes from the European Regional Development Fund.

With this investment, Genk Cargo Connect aims not only to improve the efficiency of freight transport but also to reduce emissions.

After all, by electrifying the last kilometer of the rail line, electric locomotives will be able to run directly to the terminal.

First electric train in 2028

The work is intended to ensure that by 2028 the first electric locomotive will be able to enter the Port of Genk.

According to the partners involved, the project means more than just a technical upgrade to the rail network for Genk and Limburg. The electrical connection is intended to make the terminal more attractive to companies that want to transport goods by rail.

Genk Cargo Connect aims to further develop itself as a multimodal logistics hub, combining rail, inland waterway transport, and other transportation options.

Sources

• VRT NWS – report on the electrification of Genk Cargo Connect, published on September 7, 2026.

• Genk Cargo Connect – information about the terminal and the rail project.

• POM Limburg – information about the economic and logistical impact of the project.

• City of Genk – information about the development of the Port of Genk and the Genk logistics hub.

This TrainNews article was written independently based on the sources listed above. The text is not a verbatim reproduction of the original report.