Sarens plays key role in replacing railway bridge over the Barebeek

Sarens, a global leader in heavy lifting and engineered transport, has successfully completed the replacement of the railway bridge over the Barebeek, part of Infrabel’s railway line 53 between Mechelen and Leuven. This project, commissioned by Mols Contractors, is a crucial step in the modernisation of the Belgian railway infrastructure.

The Barebeek railway bridge had to be replaced due to significant wear and tear and the need to upgrade the structure for compatibility with new signalling and speed technologies. Infrabel, the Belgian railway infrastructure manager, has launched a comprehensive renovation initiative for line 53, aimed at modernising the track and enhancing overall mobility.

For this operation, the Sarens engineering team deployed a Demag AC700 crane configured in WiHi24m, with a lifting capacity of 110 tonnes. The project involved lifting and installing four bridge decks, each 24 metres long, 3.6 metres wide, and weighing up to 85 tonnes.