Train Traffic on HSL 4 between Antwerp and Rotterdam (300 km/h) | August 7, 2024

This time I visited a station called Noorderkempen situated just outside the town of Brecht. This station was opened on May 29, 2009, and the first trains started running between Antwerp and Noorderkempen on June 15, 2009. The entire high-speed line between Antwerp and Schiphol was finally opened on December 13, 2009. The Belgian part of the highspeed line is called HSL 4 and the Dutch part HSL-South. The top speed is 300 km/h, which is also allowed on the 2 middle tracks in Noorderkempen. The two platform tracks in Noorderkempen have a speed limit of 80 km/h. The speed of 300 km/h is only reached by Eurostar trains; ICD and S trains are limited to a maximum speed of 160 km/h. The new ICNG that's being tested on the line has a top speed of 200 km/h. The whole line is equipped with ETCS cab signaling and therefore has no light signals. Also interesting, the trains between Antwerp and Rotterdam run on the left track until just before the station of Rotterdam, where all trains switch to the right. This is due to trains normally running left in Belgium and right in the Netherlands. 

I tried to provide as much information as possible about each train in the caption shown with each train.

Enjoy the video!

0:00 EST 9327
0:28 EST 9340
0:49 ICD 9235
2:55 ICD 9232
4:02 ICNG (Test Drive)
4:25 S35 6783
5:52 EST 9126
6:38 ICD 9240
7:30 S35 6764
9:18 EST 9339
9:40 EST 9358

#trains #highspeedtrain #icng