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Description
Duffel (Belgium), May 11th 2018

Intercity service 3338, composed of a HLE-27 electric locomotive hauling M4 single-deck stock, passes the 31-km marker on Line 25, on its way from Antwerp-Central Station to Brussels-South.

Both the Class 27 electric locomotive and M4 coaching stock are slowly nearing the end of their life.

Introduced in 1981, the Class 27 locomotives are mainly used on Intercity passenger services. The type also holds the record for the longest passenger train hauled by a single locomotive: for a charity event, locomotive 2711 hauled a passenger train consisting of 70 carriages on April 27th 1991. However, their withdrawal is forseen for 2024, the cut-off date for the withdrawal of non-ETCS-equiped railway equipment.

The M4 coaching stock was introduced in 1979 as a replacement for 1930s-vintage K1, L & M1 single-deck stock. Originally, some 1000 M4 coaches were planned, but eventually only 580 were built, partly due to the introduction of the AM80 class EMU, and due to the decision to substitute part of the order for higher-capacity, double-deck M5 stock. While roomys and comfortable for their time, the M4 coaching stock no longer is up to current standards, partly because of a lack of air conditioning which can cause discomfort along its passengers during the warmer summer days. With the impending introduction of new M7 double-deck coaching stock, planned for September 2018 and scheduled to be completed by 2021, it is expected that the M4 stock will gradually disappear, having been in service for 40 years.

Description
Duffel (Belgium), May 11th 2018

Intercity service 3338, composed of a HLE-27 electric locomotive hauling M4 single-deck stock, passes the 31-km marker on Line 25, on its way from Antwerp-Central Station to Brussels-South.

Both the Class 27 electric locomotive and M4 coaching stock are slowly nearing the end of their life.

Introduced in 1981, the Class 27 locomotives are mainly used on Intercity passenger services. The type also holds the record for the longest passenger train hauled by a single locomotive: for a charity event, locomotive 2711 hauled a passenger train consisting of 70 carriages on April 27th 1991. However, their withdrawal is forseen for 2024, the cut-off date for the withdrawal of non-ETCS-equiped railway equipment.

The M4 coaching stock was introduced in 1979 as a replacement for 1930s-vintage K1, L & M1 single-deck stock. Originally, some 1000 M4 coaches were planned, but eventually only 580 were built, partly due to the introduction of the AM80 class EMU, and due to the decision to substitute part of the order for higher-capacity, double-deck M5 stock. While roomys and comfortable for their time, the M4 coaching stock no longer is up to current standards, partly because of a lack of air conditioning which can cause discomfort along its passengers during the warmer summer days. With the impending introduction of new M7 double-deck coaching stock, planned for September 2018 and scheduled to be completed by 2021, it is expected that the M4 stock will gradually disappear, having been in service for 40 years.