HSL 4
The HSL 4 andHSL-Zuid railways
Overview
Status	Operational
Locale	Belgium
Termini	Antwerp-Luchtbal station Dutch border
Service
Operator(s)	National Railway Company of Belgium
History
Opened	2009
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	Overhead line, 25 kV 50 Hz AC
Operating speed	300 km/h (186 mph)
Route map Legend Line 25 toAntwerpen-Centraal andBrussels 46.8 Antwerpen-Luchtbal 47.9 0.0 Antwerp–Lage Zwaluwe railway toRoosendaal 19.7 Noorderkempen 35.9 54.5 Belgium Netherlands border HSL-Zuid toRotterdam This diagram: view talk edit

HSL 4 (Dutch:Hogesnelheidslijn 4,lit. 'High-Speed Line 4') is a 36-kilometre (22 mi)high-speed railway in Belgium running fromAntwerp to theDutch border. Together with theHSL-Zuid in the Netherlands, it forms theSchiphol–Antwerp high-speed railway. The line allows speeds of up to 300 kilometres per hour (190 mph) and is used by both domestic and international services.

Initially planned to open in 2005, HSL 4 entered public service in 2009. It is used byIntercity Direct andEurostar services, providing fast connections between cities such asAmsterdam,Rotterdam,Brussels,Paris, andLondon. On weekdays, it is also used by local domestic trains terminating atNoorderkempen. The line was previously served by fastSNCB InterCity services and the discontinuedFyra service, both of which were replaced by Intercity Direct.

Although designed for high-speed travel, a short section near Antwerp requires trains to reduce speed due to conventional infrastructure. The line uses the25 kV 50 Hz AC electrification system common to most northern European corridors, along withEuropean Train Control System signalling.

The high-speed HSL 4 begins just north ofAntwerp, at a connection with theAntwerp–Lage Zwaluwe railway nearLuchtbal station, and runs for 35.9 kilometres (22.3 mi) to the Dutch border.

Though HSL4 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.

FromBrussels South station, trains travel northwards through theBrussels-Central andBrussels-North stations. AtSchaarbeek the line splits in two; the eastern branch continues toLiège and theGerman border, the northern branch towardsAntwerp and theDutch border. BetweenBrussels andAntwerp (47 kilometres (29 mi)), trains travel at 160 kilometres per hour (99 mph) online 25N and then the upgraded existingline 25 (with the exception of a few segments where a speed limit of 100–120 km/h (62–75 mph) is imposed).

In Antwerp, atunnel has been constructed underneath the city to permit high-speed trains to run directly throughAntwerpen-Centraal to the new high-speed line north, an extension of line 25 untilAntwerpen-Luchtbal railway station, after which line 4 (HSL 4) starts. Trains enter the 1.5-kilometre (0.93 mi) long, two-tube tunnel pastBerchem at 90 kilometres per hour (56 mph). They exit the tunnel at 40 km/h (25 mph), it seems due to stability and infiltration concerns.

The line surfaces at Antwerpen-Dam as line 25, and after crossing theAlbert Canal,crosses the existingAntwerp-Essen line at 120 km/h (75 mph). At the E19/A12 motorway junction, trainsleave the regular line to run on new dedicated high-speed tracks to the Dutch border (40 kilometres (25 mi) away) at up to 300 kilometres per hour (186 mph). The route parallels the E19 motorway until the border, which has required the building of several bridges.

The line passes throughSchoten,Brasschaat,Brecht,Wuustwezel, andHoogstraten, before crossing the border into theNetherlands and connecting to the DutchHSL-Zuid.

Antwerpen-Centraal station has been completely reorganised. A tunnel has been constructed to permit the passage of trains under the city, additionally creating a subterranean junction betweenAntwerpen-Berchem andAntwerpen-Dam railway station [nl;fr;de], passing through Antwerpen-Centraal. With these works completed, the station has four levels and 14 tracks:

• level +1 (the original station) has 6 terminating tracks, arranged as two groups of three (line 59/1 to Ghent and line 12 to the depot, workshop and cleaning station in Antwerp-Schijnpoort) separated by an opening allowing natural light to reach the lower levels
• level 0 contains ticketing facilities and commercial space
• level −1 (7 meters below road level) has 4 terminating tracks, also arranged as two groups (line 27 to Brussels, for services terminating in Antwerp).
• level −2 (18 meters below road level) has 4 tracks, which end up in the two-track-wide tunnel under the city (used by high-speed, InterCity and local passenger trains between the North and South of Antwerp — freight trains go around the East of Antwerp on line 27A to the harbour)

The HSL 4 is the only high-speed line in Belgium that features an intermediate station atNoorderkempen (municipalityBrecht, Belgium) for use in regular speed passenger service.

The line features a 'Solar Tunnel' near Antwerp. The above-ground tunnel Peerdsbos is comparable to anavalanche gallery except instead of snow it protects the trains from falling trees and the highway traffic on the E19. It was constructed as an alternative to felling parts of the nearby forest. The 'tunnel' is unique as it is covered with 16,000 solar panels. The line's operator claim this provides 3300 MWh of electricity per year and cuts CO₂ emissions by 2400 tonnes a year.^[1]

• High-speed rail in Belgium

• Belgian high-speed rail site(in French)

Wikimedia Commons has media related toHSL 4.

• High-speed railway lines in Belgium
• Railway lines opened in 2009
• Standard-gauge railways in Belgium
• Railway lines in Flanders
• Rail transport in Antwerp
• 25 kV AC railway electrification

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Articles containing Dutch-language text
• Articles with French-language sources (fr)
• Commons category link is on Wikidata