HSL 1
| HSL 1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Thalys on HSL 1
|
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| Overview | |||
| Type | High-speed rail | ||
| System | SNCB | ||
| Status | Operational | ||
| Locale | Belgium | ||
| Termini |
LGV Nord at Fretin Junction Brussels-South |
||
| Stations | 1 | ||
| Operation | |||
| Opened | 1997 | ||
| Owner | SNCB | ||
| Operator(s) |
Eurostar Thalys TGV |
||
| Rolling stock |
Class 373/1 |
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| Technical | |||
| Line length | 88 km (55 mi) | ||
| Number of tracks | Double track throughout + loops | ||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge | ||
| Loading gauge | UIC GC | ||
| Electrification | 25 kV 50 Hz OHLE | ||
| Operating speed | 300 km/h (186 mph) | ||
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The HSL 1 (French: Ligne à Grande Vitesse (LGV) 1, Dutch: Hogesnelheidslijn 1, English: High-Speed Line 1) is a high-speed rail line which connects Brussels, Belgium, with the LGV Nord at the Belgium–France border. It is 88 km (55 mi) long with 71 km of dedicated high-speed tracks and 17 km of modernised lines. Service began on 14 December 1997.
The line has appreciably shortened journey times, the journey from Paris to Brussels now taking 1:22. In combination with the LGV Nord, it has also impacted international journeys to other cities in France and to London, ensuring high-speed through-running by Eurostar, TGV, Thalys PBA and Thalys PBKA trainsets.
The total construction cost was €1.42 billion. The signalling system installed is the TVM-430 in-cab signalling system, the same as LGV Nord in France, and High Speed 1 in the UK.
Trains leave Brussels-Midi station via a new viaduct completed in 2006 to separate high-speed services from local services. From there they use the traditional lines. At Forest/Vorst the train passes the depot where inspections of Thalys and Eurostar trains may be carried out. At Halle (km 13) the HST tracks split from the mainline and enters its own cut-and-cover section before crossing the Brussels–Charleroi Canal; at km 17 the high-speed line proper diverges from the mainline at the Lembeek Viaduct, supporting 300 km/h speeds.
Between Rebecq and Enghien the line parallels the A8 autoroute, separated by a security fence. At Enghien the line parallels the regular Brussels–Tournai line for approximately 10 km.
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Wikipedia