Fyra
Encyclopedia
Fyra is a high-speed train
service operating on the Dutch HSL-Zuid
and planned for the Belgian HSL 4
, between Amsterdam
, Schiphol Airport, Rotterdam
, Breda
, Antwerp, and Brussels
. Fyra shares the high-speed tracks with operator Thalys
. The service is offered by NS Hispeed
and the NMBS/SNCB
. The name Fyra represents pride, and is derived from the Dutch and French words fier, both meaning proud. Fyra is also the Swedish word for four, and is said to represent the four important cities which the new trains will serve - Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Antwerp and Brussels.
station. These will include two trains per hour to Rotterdam
, two trains per hour to Breda
and one train per hour to Antwerp and Brussels
. All trains from Amsterdam will stop at both Schiphol Airport and Rotterdam
. Services outside the Netherlands will be operated in conjunction with NMBS, Belgium's national railway operator. To compensate for the loss of direct service between The Hague
and Brussels, and to connect Breda
to destinations south of the border, a shuttle-service will connect The Hague with Brussels South via Rotterdam, Breda, Noorderkempen, Mechelen and Antwerp.
An hourly high-speed service between Amsterdam, Schiphol Airport and Rotterdam was introduced in September 2009. In October 2010 this was increased to a half-hourly service. In April 2011 the service was extended to Breda. The service to Antwerp and Brussels is expected to start in mid 2012.
trains from AnsaldoBreda, with NMBS ordering a further 4 sets. They will be used on the Dutch domestic services and the NS Hispeed services to Brussels. These sets will be eight carriages long and have a top speed of 250 km/h, and are expected to enter service no earlier than December 2011 - at least four years later than originally planned.
Between 2007 and 2008 in order to dispense with the increasingly unreliable SNCB Class 11
locomotives on the Amsterdam-Brussels services, NS Hispeed introduced twelve Bombardier
Traxx F140 MS
electric locomotives hired from Angel Trains
, numbered in the range E186 111 to E186 122.
High-speed rail
High-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions by the European Union include for upgraded track and or faster for new track, whilst in the United States, the U.S...
service operating on the Dutch HSL-Zuid
HSL-Zuid
HSL-Zuid , is a 125 km-long high-speed railway line in the Netherlands to the Belgian border, with a branch to Breda. Together with the Belgian HSL 4 it forms the Schiphol–Antwerp high-speed railway...
and planned for the Belgian HSL 4
HSL 4
The HSL 4 is a Belgian high-speed rail line which connects Brussels to the Dutch border. 87 km long , it was scheduled for completion by 2007.Together with the HSL 1 to the French border and HSL-Zuid to Amsterdam, the line has shortened journeys between Brussels,...
, between Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Schiphol Airport, Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
, Breda
Breda
Breda is a municipality and a city in the southern part of the Netherlands. The name Breda derived from brede Aa and refers to the confluence of the rivers Mark and Aa. As a fortified city, the city was of strategic military and political significance...
, Antwerp, and Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
. Fyra shares the high-speed tracks with operator Thalys
Thalys
Thalys is an international high-speed train operator originally built around the high-speed line between Paris and Brussels. This track is shared with Eurostar trains that go from Paris or Brussels to London via Lille and the Channel Tunnel and with French domestic TGV trains. Thalys reaches...
. The service is offered by NS Hispeed
NS Hispeed
NS Hispeed is the rail operator in the Netherlands that operates international intercity and high-speed train connections as well as national high-speed trains over the HSL-Zuid high speed line, which are branded as Fyra....
and the NMBS/SNCB
NMBS/SNCB
The National Railway Company of Belgium, known as the or the Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Belges is the Belgian national railway operator.It is usually referred to in English as "Belgian Railways" or the SNCB....
. The name Fyra represents pride, and is derived from the Dutch and French words fier, both meaning proud. Fyra is also the Swedish word for four, and is said to represent the four important cities which the new trains will serve - Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Antwerp and Brussels.
Operations
The majority of NS Hispeed services will start at Amsterdam CentraalAmsterdam Centraal
' is the central station of Amsterdam. It is one of the main railway hubs of the Netherlands and is used by 250,000 passengers a day, excluding transferring passengers. It is also the starting point of Amsterdam Metro lines 51, 53, and 54. The station building of Amsterdam Centraal was designed by...
station. These will include two trains per hour to Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
, two trains per hour to Breda
Breda
Breda is a municipality and a city in the southern part of the Netherlands. The name Breda derived from brede Aa and refers to the confluence of the rivers Mark and Aa. As a fortified city, the city was of strategic military and political significance...
and one train per hour to Antwerp and Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
. All trains from Amsterdam will stop at both Schiphol Airport and Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
. Services outside the Netherlands will be operated in conjunction with NMBS, Belgium's national railway operator. To compensate for the loss of direct service between The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
and Brussels, and to connect Breda
Breda
Breda is a municipality and a city in the southern part of the Netherlands. The name Breda derived from brede Aa and refers to the confluence of the rivers Mark and Aa. As a fortified city, the city was of strategic military and political significance...
to destinations south of the border, a shuttle-service will connect The Hague with Brussels South via Rotterdam, Breda, Noorderkempen, Mechelen and Antwerp.
An hourly high-speed service between Amsterdam, Schiphol Airport and Rotterdam was introduced in September 2009. In October 2010 this was increased to a half-hourly service. In April 2011 the service was extended to Breda. The service to Antwerp and Brussels is expected to start in mid 2012.
Rolling stock
NS Hispeed has ordered 16 V250V250 (train)
The V250, also known as Albatross, is a high-speed train to be built by AnsaldoBreda and designed to operate on the newly-built HSL-Zuid in the Netherlands and its extension HSL 4 in Belgium...
trains from AnsaldoBreda, with NMBS ordering a further 4 sets. They will be used on the Dutch domestic services and the NS Hispeed services to Brussels. These sets will be eight carriages long and have a top speed of 250 km/h, and are expected to enter service no earlier than December 2011 - at least four years later than originally planned.
Between 2007 and 2008 in order to dispense with the increasingly unreliable SNCB Class 11
SNCB Class 11
The SNCB class 11 locomotives were built in the 1980s for hauling the Benelux trains between Brussels, Belgium, and Amsterdam, The Netherlands. They operated in push pull mode - remote controlled from a leading driving carriage when at the rear of the train. They are numbered 1181 and higher to...
locomotives on the Amsterdam-Brussels services, NS Hispeed introduced twelve Bombardier
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
Traxx F140 MS
TRAXX
Bombardier TRAXX is a modular product platform of electric and Diesel-electric mainline locomotives built by Bombardier Transportation, built in both freight and passenger variants...
electric locomotives hired from Angel Trains
Angel Trains
Angel Trains is an English Rolling Stock Operating Company created in 1994 as part of the privatisation of British Rail. It was one of three ROSCOs...
, numbered in the range E186 111 to E186 122.
| Class | Image | Type | Top speed | Number | Built | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mph | km/h | ||||||
| F140 MS SNCB Class 28 (Bombardier) The SNCB Class 28 number series has been brought back into use for 43 Bombardier TRAXX locomotives which have been hired from Angel Trains Cargo for use with B-Cargo, the freight division of NMBS/SNCB... |
Electric locomotive Electric locomotive An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or an on-board energy storage device... |
100 | 160 | 12 | 2005–2007 | Interim usage until EMUs ready | |
| V250 V250 (train) The V250, also known as Albatross, is a high-speed train to be built by AnsaldoBreda and designed to operate on the newly-built HSL-Zuid in the Netherlands and its extension HSL 4 in Belgium... |
 |
Electric multiple unit Electric multiple unit An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages... |
155 | 250 | 20 (planned) | 2009–2011 | Tricurrent |