Country (HQ): Belgium
Sector: Railway infrastructure works and maintenance
WAD Portfolio Since: October 2026
More Info: Company Website | LinkedIn
Ardenne Rails: Railway Infrastructure Works and Maintenance in Belgium
About Ardenne Rails
Ardenne Rails SA is a Belgian company specialising in railway infrastructure, headquartered in Dison. Founded in 2006 by the Gehlen Group, it provides certified road-rail vehicles and their operators for the maintenance and renewal of railway infrastructure. In October 2026, Etienne Van den Bogaert acquired Ardenne Rails from Roger Gehlen and Eddy Joenen and became its CEO.
I spent years working on the technology that keeps roads safe and moving. Rail is the next frontier for the same idea, and Ardenne Rails gives me the best possible starting point: skilled operators, modern machines and a reputation earned on the track. In this market you have to be competitive to win the work, but trust is what gets you called first.
Value Creation
Railway maintenance depends on specialists who can mobilise certified machines and operators at short notice, around the clock and under strict safety rules. Ardenne Rails has built its reputation on exactly that. The opportunity now is to build on that foundation: grow the team and the fleet, broaden the client base and add new capabilities. Etienne Van den Bogaert brings more than 20 years of leadership in technology and industrial businesses across Europe and Asia, including 6 years in road infrastructure technology (traffic sensing, tolling and weigh-in-motion), with experience in business transformation, international business development and M&A integration.
History
Ardenne Rails was founded in 2006 by Eddy Joenen and Roger Gehlen. While working on construction sites, they realised that railway maintenance needed a specialist capable of mobilising certified equipment and operators as soon as the network required it. They have developed the company together ever since. In nearly twenty years, Ardenne Rails has grown from a small team to a trusted partner of railway infrastructure managers, railway operators, and industrial companies with rail connections. In October 2026, Roger and Eddy handed over the company to Etienne Van den Bogaert, with Eddy remaining on board to support the transition.
