HSL 2

HSL 2 near Hoegaarden alongside A3/E40

Overview

Type

Heavy rail

System

Belgian HSL

Status

In operation

Locale

Belgium

Termini

Leuven
Ans

Stations

Operation

Opened

15 December 2002

Owner

Infrabel

Operator(s)

Thalys, ICE, SNCB/NMBS

Depot(s)

Vorst, (Leuven, Ans)

Rolling stock

Thalys PBKA, ICE 3M, SNCB Class 18 or Class 13 + I11 or I6 or I10

Technical

Line length

64 km (40 mi)

Track length

128 km (80 mi)

Number of tracks

Track gauge

1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) standard gauge

Electrification

25 kV, 50 Hz AC

Operating speed

300 km/h

Route map

Legend

Brussels-North

0.00

Line 36

Schaerbeek

to Buda

Haren-Zuid

to Haren

Diegem

Brussels Ring (R0)

to Brussels Airport

Kortenberg

Erps-Kwerps

Veltem

Herent

E 314

Canal crossing

to Mechelen

to Aarschot and Hasselt

0.00

Leuven

to Wavre and Ottignies

N25

Line 36 to Tienen and Liège

Bierbeek tunnel

northwest portal

E 40

Bierbeek tunnel

southeast portal

Waremme - Landen line

former Liège - Brussels line

Bierset-Awans

E 42

E 25

64.7

Ans

Liège-Guillemins

The HSL 2 (French: Ligne à Grande Vitesse (LGV) 2, Dutch: Hogesnelheidslijn 2, English: High-Speed Line 2) is a Belgian high-speed rail line between Leuven and Ans. 64 km (40 mi) long, all of it on dedicated high-speed tracks, which began service on 15 December 2002. As part of the Belgian railway network, it is owned, technically operated and maintained by Infrabel.

Now the extension to the German border is complete (the HSL 3), the fastest journey time between Brussels South and Cologne Central Station is 1 hour and 47 minutes. HSL 2 is used by Thalys and ICE trains as well as fast internal Belgian Railways InterCity services.

Route

HSL 2 near Berloz alongside A3/E40

From Brussels South, trains travel northwards over Line 0 through Central and North stations. At Schaarbeek the route splits in two; northward bound trains continue over line 25N, line 25, Antwerp and HSL 4 to the Dutch border, eastward bound trains continue over line 36N, line 2 and line 36 to Liège and from there over line 37 and HSL 3 and again line 37 to the German border. Between Schaarbeek and Leuven there are four tracks; the two outer tracks, line 36, permit travel at 160 km/h (99 mph). The two central tracks, line 36N, were planned for 200 km/h (124 mph) direct service and trainsets equipped with ETCS 1 are now allowed to travel at 200 km/h (124 mph).

At Leuven, trains pass through the existing station at 160 km/h (99 mph). Just outside, HSL 2 proper commences with a speed initially limited to 200 km/h (124 mph). After the Bierbeek tunnel (758 m),^[1] maximum speed is increased to 300 km/h (186 mph) alongside the E40 motorway. Over the last few kilometers, curbing away from the E40, speed is limited to 220 km/h (137 mph). Quitting HSL 2, trains run to Ans station at 140 km/h (87 mph). Between Ans and Liège-Guillemins station, passenger trains run on the modernised line 36 at a speed of 70 km/h (43 mph) (downwards to Liège) or 140 km/h (87 mph) (EMUs upwards to Ans).

Other

HSL 2 is used by 300 km/h (186 mph) Thalys PBKA sets, 250 km/h (155 mph) ICE 3M EMUs and 200 km/h (124 mph) domestic InterCity services run by sets of Class 18 or Class 13 locomotives with I6, I10 or (mostly) I11 carriages. Trains with the new SNCB Class 18 locomotives appeared on the line.^[2] probably in 2010.^[3] DB Velaro D (BR407) is expected soon.

Maintenance bases for the line are situated at Leuven and Ans.

The Belgian cabin signaling system TBL 2 has been installed on the HSL 2. It is operated from Block 12 in Brussels.

HSL 2 is standard gauge, double track, electrified at 25 kV, 50 Hz AC.

References

↑ "Tranchée couverte de Bierbeek". Structurae. Retrieved 7 January 2009.
↑ "SNCB/NMBS 18 series". www.railcolor.net. Retrieved 2 October 2008.
↑ "45 nouvelles locomotives de la SNCB inutilisables" (in French). La Dernière Heure. Retrieved 16 May 2010.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to HSL 2.

High-speed railway lines

Africa

Asia

China (Mainland)	(* Indicates overlap with conventional services) Tianjin–Qinhuangdao –Shenyang* Nanjing–Hefei –Wuhan* Beijing–Tianjin–Binhai Taiyuan–Shijiazhuang Jinan–Qingdao –Rongcheng* Suining–Chengdu* Nanjing–Hangzhou –Ningbo –Taizhou–Wenzhou –Fuzhou –Xiamen –Shenzhen Beijing–Shijiazhuang –Wuhan –Guangzhou –Shenzhen Zhengzhou–Xi'an –Baoji –Lanzhou –Urumqi Jiujiang–Nanchang –Fuzhou* Chengdu–Dujiangyan Shanghai–Nanjing Shanghai–Hangzhou –Changsha –Guiyang Changchun–Jilin Hainan Eastern Ring Guangzhou–Zhuhai Beijing–Shanghai Bengbu–Hefei –Fuzhou Dalian–Harbin –Qiqihar Panjin–Yingkou Hengyang–Liuzhou Liuzhou–Nanning* Nanning–Qinzhou* Qinzhou–Fangchenggang* Qinzhou–Beihai* Taiyuan–Xi'an Wuhan–Xianning Wuhan–Huangshi Zhengzhou–Kaifeng Guiyang–Guangzhou Nanning–Guangzhou Guiyang–Kaiyang Zhengzhou–Jiaozuo Shenyang–Dandong Jilin–Hunchun Lanzhou–Zhongchuan Airport Nanjing–Anqing Nanning–Kunming

Japan	Tōkaidō Shinkansen Sanyō Shinkansen Tōhoku Shinkansen Jōetsu Shinkansen Hokuriku Shinkansen Kyushu Shinkansen Hokkaido Shinkansen

South Korea	Gyeongbu HSR Honam HSR

Taiwan	Taipei–Kaohsiung

Turkey	Ankara-Pendik Ankara–Konya

Europe

Belgium	HSL 1 HSL 2 HSL 3 HSL 4

France	LGV Sud-Est LGV Atlantique LGV Rhône-Alpes LGV Nord LGV Interconnexion Est LGV Méditerranée LGV Est Perpignan-Barcelona LGV Rhin-Rhône

Germany	Cologne–Düren Cologne–Frankfurt Hanover–Würzburg Mannheim–Stuttgart Rastatt–Offenburg Wolfsburg–Berlin Nuremberg–Ingolstadt Erfurt–Leipzig/Halle

Italy	Turin–Milan Milan–Bologna Bologna–Florence Florence–Rome Rome–Naples Naples–Salerno

Netherlands	HSL-Zuid

Norway	Gardermoen Line

Spain	Madrid–Barcelona Madrid–Seville Madrid–Malaga Madrid– Leon Madrid–Toledo Atlantic Axis Barcelona–Perpignan Madrid–Valencia/Alicante

United Kingdom	High Speed 1

North America

South America

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HSL 2

Route

Other

See also

References

External links