Navigate from Mariembourg Station (Chaussée de Givet 49–51, Mariembourg, Wallonia) to Treignes Station (Place de la Gare 101, Treignes, Wallonia) across a span of 14km.
Scenery Highlights
Ardennes Forests of the Viroin-Hermeton Natural Park (Parc naturel Viroin-Hermeton)
Viroin River gorge alongside the line, with stone-arch masonry bridges crossing the river valley
Stone-arch bridges over the Viroin (original 1880s construction preserved)
Treignes Heritage Terminus and the Musée du CFV3V — one of the most comprehensive railway museums in Europe
Calestienne limestone escarpment to the south of the line (geological transition zone between Fagne-Famenne and the Ardennes)
Forest reaches of the Ardennes with characteristic deciduous and coniferous Ardennes stands
Quick Facts
Duration
0.7 hours
Distance
14 km
Est. Price
Voyage en train €19 adulte / €13 enfant (6-11); tarif réduit et groupe (min. 20 pers.) €17 / €12; combiné train + musée €25 / €17; visite musée seule €7 / €5. Meilleurs tarifs en ligne (Elloha). Free for accompanied children under 6.
Restored historic steam locomotives — currently in regular service: Elna 158 (returned to service 2025 after full boiler refurbishment with new boiler), AD09, NE 61 (SACM). Backup diesel locomotives include BB 63149, CFL 914 (BB 63000), SA 99, 7304 'Cubitus', 9011 VL02-1, 9008, Y5130 IDEFIX; historic SNCB autorails 551.34 (ES301), 554.11 (4611), 4407 (604.07), 554.10 (4610), ES 403 (603.28); heritage Schienenbus VT 95 (551.662); and the Goes-Borsele heritage railcar. Maximum speeds typically 30–50 km/h depending on consist weight, with heritage steam capping at 40 km/h to limit track wear on the 1880s alignment.
Locomotive Weight
Varies by locomotive — steam locomotives typically 40–60 tonnes (Elna 158 / AD09 / NE 61 in the 50–60 t range); heritage diesel railcars ~30 tonnes (autorail 551/554 series); Schienenbus VT 95 ~14 tonnes.
Track Gauge
1,435 mm (standard gauge) — CF3V operates a 14 km section of public SNCB Ligne 132 (Charleroi–Couvin) between Mariembourg and Treignes, jointly scheduled with the active SNCB mainline service.
Braking Technology
Steam locomotives: Westinghouse air brake and heritage vacuum brake fitted on older rolling stock. Diesel railcars and modernised heritage cars: standard air brake. Handbrake on goods vehicles.
Route Engineering Challenges
Operating vintage steam locomotives on active standard-gauge mainline shared with SNCB infrastructure (Ligne 132 Charleroi–Couvin)
Single-track 14 km section with limited passing loops between Mariembourg and Treignes — a single heritage train-set typically operates eastbound and returns westbound on the same consist
Tight curves through dense Ardennes forest (Viroin-Hermeton Natural Park) requiring careful speed management to limit track wear on the 1874 alignment
Preservation of original 1880s stone-arch bridges over the Viroin river without major modernisation — annual masonry inspections and reinforcement
Coordinating seasonal timetables between heritage operations and the active Charleroi–Couvin SNCB service — heritage departures and SNCB mainline passages must be interleaved to share the single-track corridor
Boiler retubing and statutory inspection cycles for steam locomotives (typically 10-year intervals) — Elna 158's 2024–2025 full boiler refurbishment is the most recent example
Volunteer mechanic pipeline: maintaining the in-service steam fleet requires a deep pool of skilled volunteer fitters, boilermakers and firemen; succession planning is ongoing
Route
Mariembourg – Treignes, 14 km, single-track section of SNCB Ligne 132 (Charleroi–Couvin)
Country
Belgium (Wallonia, Province de Namur)
Operator
CF3V asbl (Chemin de Fer à Vapeur des 3 Vallées asbl, volunteer-run heritage society founded in the 1970s)
Gauge
1,435 mm (standard gauge, SNCB mainline)
In-service steam locomotives
Elna 158 (returned to service 2025), AD09, NE 61 (SACM)
Chaussée de Givet 49–51, 5660 Mariembourg, Belgium
Treignes terminus address
Place de la Gare 101, 5670 Treignes, Belgium
Peak-season timetable
Mariembourg departures 11:30, 14:20, 17:30 daily during July–August and Belgian school holidays
Journey time
Approximately 40 minutes one-way (Mariembourg → Treignes)
Round-trip Mariembourg → Treignes → Mariembourg
Approximately 1 hour 30 minutes including turnaround at Treignes
Built
1872–1874; section opened 1874; preserved 1880s stone-arch masonry bridges
Operating season
April to October, weekends and Belgian school holidays; intensive daily service July–August
Maximum speed
30–50 km/h (heritage operation, capped to limit track wear on the 1874 alignment)
Single-track / passing loop
Single-track corridor with limited passing loops between Mariembourg and Treignes
Booking
Online via Elloha on cfv3v.eu (best fares) or on-site at Mariembourg / Treignes station kiosks
Currency
EUR
Languages
French primary, with English and Dutch interpretation available on request for groups
Volunteer base
~80–120 active CF3V volunteers across steam operations, diesel operations, museum curation, track maintenance and rolling-stock restoration
Heritage significance
Belgium's premier volunteer-run heritage steam railway; one of the earliest volunteer heritage-rail revivals in the Walloon Region (1970s); home to the Elna 158 return-to-service milestone (2025); listed on the Patrimoine culturel of the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles supplementary inventory
Quick Facts
Duration
0.7 hours
Distance
14 km
Est. Price
Voyage en train €19 adulte / €13 enfant (6-11); tarif réduit et groupe (min. 20 pers.) €17 / €12; combiné train + musée €25 / €17; visite musée seule €7 / €5. Meilleurs tarifs en ligne (Elloha). Free for accompanied children under 6.