The Hasselt to Mol electrification project began back in the spring of 2019. Around 60km of overhead lines were installed on the route. In total, 1,250 catenary poles were installed, 1,400 tons of steel were used for the catenary constructions, and 300km of wires and cables were unrolled for the catenary.
Spread over the 38km long railway line, Infrabel also built two new traction substations in Leopoldsburg and on the Houthalen/Zolder border, and one new sectioning station in Hasselt (at the Zonhoven branch). These installations convert high voltage into usable voltage (3,000V direct voltage) for rail traffic. From the substation, the converted traction current runs via the overhead line to the trains so that they can run electrically.
In addition, Infrabel also carried out a number of infrastructure works on the railway line, such as the raising and renewal of various bridges. This was necessary because the bridges were not high enough for the passage of an electric train with overhead wires.
The total investment for the electrification works on the Hasselt to Mol line amounted to approximately €50m according to Infrabel.