FYRA to Brussels - Any news?

[brianc_li]

For those who do not know about it, FYRA is the high speed service currently running between Amsterdam and Breda in the Netherlands. It is supposed to be offering service to Brussels but this is now many years late.

The last announcement I saw anywhere was that trains were supposed to start running to Brussels 'In December 2011'. The new NS year starts on 11th December so it would be logical that FYRA services would start then. The NSHispeed site is however still showing just the regular IC services for dates after 11/12/2011.

Does anyone have a clue what is actually happening?

 

[EWS 58038]

Does anyone have a clue what is actually happening?

How tempting not to tell anyone what's happening....

But here it is:

Soon 51 NSR train drivers will be trained to operate the TRAXX loco's on the HSL-Zuid while NSHispeed train drivers are trained to operate the new V250 sets. During November/December/January all train managers will receive their training courses on the V250. When that is completed the first three or four trains should be delivered to us.

Plans are to randomly allocate them to a diagram. This can even be done during the day when a technical fault appears in a V160 set (currently used), or just by surprise for the customers. So no one knows when the V250 will run as they will not have a specific diagram to them. Speeds will be kept at 160 km'h unless the train is late and has to catch up some time.

It is expected that when 6 to 8 sets are ready for use the Amsterdam - Brussels service will start at 250 km'h. Again... this is expected and no one knows for sure.

What will happen in the next few months is a massive training program while revenue earning services are operated in between, seeing the HSL-Zuid being used by trains at 160, 250 and 300 km'h.
As soon as the V160 has been phased out, capacity is in place to test the Velaro D (BR 407) sets for the Amsterdam-London service which is planned to start in December 2013.

 

[radamfi]

So does the regular Beneluxtrein (Amsterdam - Den Haag - Rotterdam - Roosendaal - Brussel) still run for the whole of the next timetable (Dec 2011 - Dec 2012)?

 

[gordonthemoron]

I keep seeing the Velaro D in Munich Hbf. Just noticed on Tuesday that it has 6 (SIX) pantographs, presumably this is for the varying electric supplies?

 

[brianc_li]

Thank you for that EWS. Do you have any feeling for when we'll actually see a High Speed service running? Middle of next year perhaps?

 

[EWS 58038]

Personally I expect the service to go full speed on June 1st or July 1st. Again, that's what I expect... it might be sooner or indeed later.

Yesterday I had a reposition move in my shift. Get to Rotterdam as fast as you can... So I did, as can be seen below:
http://youtu.be/4rbp9y3-lDo HSL-Zuid North section at 300 km'h. The funny part is that the train can only run at full speed for something like two and a half minutes before it has to decelerate again. But Schiphol Airport to Rotterdam in just 20 minutes was unbelievably fast.

 

[gordonthemoron]

saw a FYRA in sidings outside Munich Pasing Station on 30.01.12. Anyone any idea what it was doing there?

 

[brianc_li]

Not a whisper yet from NSHispeed. Anyone have any up to date information on this?

 

[EWS 58038]

Sure.
For those who didn't read my article in the Railway Herald:

On the first of March NSHispeed, the train operator responsible for the Fyra service on behalf of High Speed Alliance has started driver training operations for it's AnsaldoBreda V250 high speed trains which will finally be introduced in service during 2012. From half April Benelux/Fyra Train Managers will be introduced to their new working environment and receive a training course dedicated to the V250. It is understood the trains will only operate on the Amsterdam to Rotterdam route twice per hour next to the existing loco hauled Amsterdam to Breda service providing a clock face service between the countries two biggest urban area's with Schiphol airport linked in between. As a result of this combined operation V250 services will be timetabled at 160 km/h, although any late running train will undoubtedly utilise the HSL-Zuid to assure an "On time" arrival. Current plans foresee the total replacement of the Loco hauled stock from the December 2012 timetable change when all services on the High Speed Line will be operated by V250 and the operational speed will be increased to reflect the new trains capabilities.

No official dates have been announced on to when the first V250 will transfer from AnsaldoBreda to Dublin based NS Financial Services.
An image of a V250 on the HSL-Zuid can be seen at my Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/maartenotto/

Small version is below:

Currently I'm in a course for Belgium legislation and Railway rules. Therefore I need to learn the complete working of the signalling system and I need to know the complete NMBS rulebook. Furthermore I need to learn a new language, Vlamish, for 95% the same as Dutch... but those other 5% are really naggy.

Example:

NL: Signal is safe (clear to pass)
B: Signal is Open

 

[Oscar]

www.treinreiziger.nl ("Rail Passenger", a Dutch website with lots of news and information about Dutch/European railways) has an article on this:

Brussel
Overigens hoeven reizigers niet bang te zijn dat met de komst van de Fyra, direct al de Benelux verdwijnt. De Benelux blijft namelijk in elk geval tot december bestaan. De Fyra zal echter 70 minuten sneller zijn dan de Benelux.

Rough translation:
Moreover passengers do not need to worry that when Fyra comes, the Benelux train will immediately cease operations. The Benelux train will continue to run in any case until December. Fyra shall however be 70 minutes faster than the Benelux train.