On the right track? Appraising twenty-five years of railway reforms in Belgium (1999-2024)

This paper examines a key but neglected dimension of the European policy of railway liberalising: the separation between infrastructure management and transportation activities. Drawing upon Verhoest et al.’s (2004) multi-dimensional approach to autonomy and control, it assesses the autonomy of the Belgian railway infrastructure manager, Infrabel, through a longitudinal case-study (1999–2024) based on documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews. Next to its original empirical focus, this study brings a twofold contribution to debates on the national implementation of EU liberalisation policies. By highlighting the nuanced, dynamic, and negotiated nature of Infrabel’s autonomy through time, it reaffirms the methodological relevance of in-depth case studies on bureaucratic autonomy—next to comparative survey questionnaires. Moreover, it demonstrates that the horizon of competition underlying liberalisation policies also influences railway reforms in countries such as Belgium, where this sector has hitherto not been privatised or liberalised (i.e. effectively submitted to competition).