North-South train connection opens in Antwerp

http://www.flandersnews.be/cm/flande...h%2Bconnection

North-South connection opens in Antwerp

Fri 23/03/07 - It took 9 years to build it but the Antwerp North-South
connection is now completed. The underground railway tunnel that links
the city's north and south marks an important step forward in the high-
speed train link between Antwerp and the Netherlands.
The brand new tunnel is to be inaugurated on Friday afternoon when a
train carrying the railway company's senior executives as well as
State Secretary for Publicly Owned Enterprises Bruno Tuybens and
Antwerp mayor Patrick Janssens (both Flemish socialists) will run
through it.
(NMBS-groep)
The underground tunnel, or North-South connection as it is referred
to, links the north of Antwerp with the south of the city.

Designed by the architect Louis De La Censerie at the end of the 19th
Century, the Antwerp railway station was built in the centre of town.
As a result, all tracks arriving at the Central Station came to a dead
end. Trains leaving Antwerp had to reverse out of the station before
being able to continue their journey.

With the construction of the tunnel, there are now 6 extra tracks that
arrive at the Central station. Of the 14 tracks, 4 will use the
underground tunnel on the -2 level and will continue their journey in
the same direction. The 4 tracks on -1 as well as the 6 that run on
the ground floor remain dead ends.
Milestone for Antwerp
The arrival of the underground tunnel is an important step forward for
railway traffic in and around Antwerp.
(VRT)
The change of the Central station from a terminal into a transit
station, in part at least, will facilitate railway traffic and will
bring along an important gain of time on some lines.

The first passenger trains will start using the tunnel on Monday. In a
first stage, the tunnel will only be used for some 70 trains per day,
most of them for domestic transport. Among them also the Benelux
trains that run between Brussels, Antwerp and Amsterdam.

At the end of the year, with the introduction of the new timetable,
the number of domestic trains that make use of the tunnel will be
stepped up considerably.

Also from December onwards, the international high-speed link Thalys
will no longer stop at Antwerpen-Berchem station but instead continue
to the Central station and proceed from there.
Facts & figures

It took 9 whole years to build the tunnel, the first construction
works began in May 1998. Given the complexity of the construction, it
is a small wonder the works were only delayed by 4 months.

Nearly 4 kilometres long and 18 metres deep, the tunnel enters the
earth just after the railway station of Antwerpen-Berchem and
resurfaces just before the Antwerpen-Dam station.

There was a price tag of around 765 million euros attached to the
building of the tunnel. The tunnel is an important part of the high-
speed link with the Netherlands, the latter part of which - between
Antwerp and the Dutch border costs 684 million euros.

The trains that run through the underground tunnel will do so at a
speed of 90 to 120 km/h.

Contrary to popular belief, Antwerp Central Station is not the most
important one in Flanders. The main Flemish train station is Gent St.-
Pieters in the East Flemish capital Ghent.

"Rubba Luva" a écrit dans le message de news:
...
http://www.flandersnews.be/cm/flande...h%2Bconnection

North-South connection opens in Antwerp

Fri 23/03/07 - It took 9 years to build it but the Antwerp North-South
connection is now completed. The underground railway tunnel that links
the city's north and south marks an important step forward in the high-
speed train link between Antwerp and the Netherlands.
The brand new tunnel is to be inaugurated on Friday afternoon when a
train carrying the railway company's senior executives as well as
State Secretary for Publicly Owned Enterprises Bruno Tuybens and
Antwerp mayor Patrick Janssens (both Flemish socialists) will run
through it.
(NMBS-groep)
The underground tunnel, or North-South connection as it is referred
to, links the north of Antwerp with the south of the city.

Designed by the architect Louis De La Censerie at the end of the 19th
Century, the Antwerp railway station was built in the centre of town.
As a result, all tracks arriving at the Central Station came to a dead
end. Trains leaving Antwerp had to reverse out of the station before
being able to continue their journey.

With the construction of the tunnel, there are now 6 extra tracks that
arrive at the Central station. Of the 14 tracks, 4 will use the
underground tunnel on the -2 level and will continue their journey in
the same direction. The 4 tracks on -1 as well as the 6 that run on
the ground floor remain dead ends.
Milestone for Antwerp
The arrival of the underground tunnel is an important step forward for
railway traffic in and around Antwerp.
(VRT)
The change of the Central station from a terminal into a transit
station, in part at least, will facilitate railway traffic and will
bring along an important gain of time on some lines.

The first passenger trains will start using the tunnel on Monday. In a
first stage, the tunnel will only be used for some 70 trains per day,
most of them for domestic transport. Among them also the Benelux
trains that run between Brussels, Antwerp and Amsterdam.

At the end of the year, with the introduction of the new timetable,
the number of domestic trains that make use of the tunnel will be
stepped up considerably.

Also from December onwards, the international high-speed link Thalys
will no longer stop at Antwerpen-Berchem station but instead continue
to the Central station and proceed from there.
Facts & figures

It took 9 whole years to build the tunnel, the first construction
works began in May 1998. Given the complexity of the construction, it
is a small wonder the works were only delayed by 4 months.

Nearly 4 kilometres long and 18 metres deep, the tunnel enters the
earth just after the railway station of Antwerpen-Berchem and
resurfaces just before the Antwerpen-Dam station.

There was a price tag of around 765 million euros attached to the
building of the tunnel. The tunnel is an important part of the high-
speed link with the Netherlands, the latter part of which - between
Antwerp and the Dutch border costs 684 million euros.

The trains that run through the underground tunnel will do so at a
speed of 90 to 120 km/h.

Contrary to popular belief, Antwerp Central Station is not the most
important one in Flanders. The main Flemish train station is Gent St.-
Pieters in the East Flemish capital Ghent.