HSL 4
| HSL 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The HSL 4 and HSL-Zuid rail lines
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| Overview | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Status | Operational | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Locale | Belgium | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Termini |
Antwerpen-Luchtbal railway station Dutch border |
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| Operation | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operator(s) | National Railway Company of Belgium | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Technical | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Line length | 36 km (22 mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number of tracks | double track | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Electrification | 25 kV 50 Hz | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating speed | 300 km/h (186 mph) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The HSL 4 (Dutch: Hogesnelheidslijn 4, French: Ligne à Grande Vitesse (LGV) 4, English: High-Speed Line 4) is a Belgian high-speed rail line part of the 87 km axis which connects Brussels to the Dutch border. 40 km long (36 kilometer of it dedicated high speed tracks), it was scheduled for completion by 2005 and opened in 2009.
Together with the HSL 1 to the French border and HSL-Zuid to Amsterdam, the line has shortened journeys between Brussels, Paris and the Netherlands. HSL 4 is used by Thalys trains and fast internal InterCity trains (Class 13 locomotives with I11 vehicles). It was used by Fyra until the cancellation of the service. It is also tentatively planned to be used by Eurostar e320 and DB Baureihe 407 trains.
The high-speed HSL 4 begins just after Antwerp, and runs 36 km where it meets the Dutch border.
Though HSL begins in Antwerp, it is part of a Paris-Brussels-Amsterdam corridor. High speed trains like Thalys, upon departing Brussels for Amsterdam, first use the existing, conventional track, electrified at 3 kV DC.
From Brussels South station, trains travel northwards through the Brussels-Central and Brussels-North stations. At Schaarbeek the line splits in two; the eastern branch continues to Liège and the German border, the northern branch towards Antwerp and the Dutch border. Between Brussels and Antwerp (47 kilometres), trains travel at 160 kilometres per hour on line 25N and then the upgraded existing line 25 (with the exception of a few segments where a speed limit of 100–120 km/h is imposed).
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Wikipedia