View source for HSL-Zuid

{{short description|Dutch high-speed railway}}
{{Infobox rail line
| name                            = HSL-Zuid
| image                           = Hslbenelux.png
| caption                         = Route of the HSL-Zuid
| image_width                     = 250px
| locale                          = [[North Holland]], [[South Holland]] and [[North Brabant]],<br>{{flag|Netherlands}}
| open                            = 7 September 2009
| owner                           = [[ProRail]]
| operator                        = [[Nederlandse Spoorwegen]]<br>[[NS International]]<br>[[Eurostar]]
| gauge                           = {{RailGauge|sgmet|allk=on}}
| electrification                 = {{25 kV 50 Hz}} [[Overhead line|overhead]]
| linelength                      = {{convert|125|km|mi|abbr=on}}
| map                             = {{HSL-Zuid diagram}}
| map_state                       = collapsed
| speed                           = {{convert|300|km/h|0|abbr=on}}
| signalling                      = [[European Train Control System|ETCS Level 2]], [[European Train Control System|ETCS Level 1]] (fallback)
}}

The '''HSL-Zuid''' ({{langx|nl|Hogesnelheidslijn Zuid}}; {{langx|en|South high-speed line}}) is a 125&nbsp;kilometre-long (78 mile) [[High-speed rail in the Netherlands|Dutch high-speed rail]] line running between the [[Amsterdam metropolitan area]] and the [[Belgium–Netherlands border|Belgian border]], with a branch to [[Breda]], [[North Brabant]]. Together with the Belgian [[HSL 4]] it forms the [[Schiphol–Antwerp high-speed railway]]. Originally scheduled to be in service by 2007, public operations began on 7 September 2009, after an opening ceremony the day prior.<ref name=rgi20090907>{{cite web | url=http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/10/ns-hispeed-launches-hsl-zuid-services.html | title=NS Hispeed launches HSL-Zuid services | publisher=[[Railway Gazette International]] | date=2009-09-07 | access-date=2009-09-07 | archive-date=2010-07-02 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100702043118/http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/10/ns-hispeed-launches-hsl-zuid-services.html | url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[Intercity Direct]] operates between [[Amsterdam]] and [[Breda]], for the time being with conventional Intercity carriages and [[TRAXX]] locomotives. On 13 December 2009 [[Thalys]] began services from [[Amsterdam]] to [[Paris]] and [[Brussels]] on the HSL-Zuid. On 4 April 2018 the first scheduled [[Eurostar]] connected Amsterdam to [[London]] via the HSL-Zuid.

Talks about a high-speed line between Amsterdam and the Belgian border started under Prime Minister [[Joop den Uyl]] (1973–1977); work began during [[Wim Kok]]'s first term (1998–2002). The [[Rijkswaterstaat]], a government agency under the authority of the [[Ministry of Transport and Water Management (Netherlands)|Ministry of Transport and Water Management]], was responsible for the organisation of the project. The [[Cabinet of the Netherlands|Government of the Netherlands]] awarded the country's largest ever [[public–private partnership]] (PPP) contract to the consortium [[Infraspeed]] until 2030; it is responsible for design, construction, financing and maintenance. The line features state-of-the-art technology, including [[ETCS L2]] train control systems provided by [[Siemens AG]] and [[Alcatel-Lucent|Alcatel]] (activities now part of [[Thales Group|Thales]]), and will be an [[European Rail Traffic Management System|ERTMS]] 2.3.0 Corridor.

==Route==
[[File:PBA train routes.svg|thumb|left|Route between Paris and Amsterdam before (red) and after (blue) the introduction of high-speed rail technology in Europe]]
[[File:HSL-Zuid bij Zoetermeer.jpg|thumb|HSL-Zuid near [[Zoetermeer]]]]
[[File:HSL Lage Zwaluwe.JPG|thumb|Tracks near [[Lage Zwaluwe]]]]

Between [[Amsterdam]] and [[Amsterdam Schiphol Airport|Schiphol]] ([[Amsterdam–Schiphol railway|''Westtak Ringspoorbaan'']]), and around [[Rotterdam]], high speed trains operate on the existing line.

South of Schiphol the dedicated high speed tracks begin, parallelling the existing railway line until [[Nieuw-Vennep]]. The line then branches off eastwards, continuing along the west side of [[Roelofarendsveen]] and [[Hoogmade]] and entering a tunnel east of [[Leiderdorp]].  This tunnel was built to protect the character of the [[Groene Hart]] region. North of [[Zoetermeer]] the train line leaves the tunnel west of [[Hazerswoude]]; it subsequently passes to the east of [[Benthuizen]], and on an elevated track east of [[Zoetermeer]], then back on the surface between [[Berkel en Rodenrijs]] and [[Bergschenhoek]], and after a tunnel, joins the existing line again north of [[Rotterdam]].

Trains run briefly on existing tracks for a few kilometres before entering the high speed line again. At [[Barendrecht]] the two tracks cross each other and the trains begin left-hand running as in [[Belgium]], [[France]] and the [[United Kingdom]]. From here the line runs next to the existing railway as well as the [[Betuweroute]], continuing through the [[Hoekse Waard]] area, bypassing [[Dordrecht]]. South of Dordrecht, the line runs next to the A16 motorway with a branch spurring off to the city of [[Breda]]. South of Breda, the line again follows the motorway towards [[Antwerp]] in northern Belgium. At the Belgian border, it connects to [[HSL 4]], which carries on to [[Antwerp]], with an existing line from Antwerp to [[Brussels]].

==Services==
[[File:HSL-Zuid Services 2023.png|thumb|213x213px|HSL-Zuid services]]
Since the opening of the HSL-Zuid, the number of trains has been expanded over time.

===Domestic trains===
On 7 September 2009, operator [[NS International]] started a domestic train service between [[Amsterdam]] and [[Rotterdam]], weekdays only, 1 train hourly with [[TRAXX]]-locomotives and ICR-carriages running at 160&nbsp;km/h maximum. Over time, this service has been expanded. On 12 April 2010, service was expanded to Saturday and Sunday. On 4 October 2010, the frequency was doubled to 2 trains hourly. On 3 April 2011, this service was extended to [[Breda]]. This service is called [[Intercity Direct]], until 2013 [[Fyra]]. Although a more intensive service was planned initially, this is not possible due to the [[V250 (train)|V250]] rolling stock problem.

{| class="wikitable"
|----- bgcolor=#f9f9f9
! rowspan="2" |&nbsp;Class&nbsp;
! rowspan="2" |Illustration
! rowspan="2" |&nbsp;Type&nbsp;
! colspan="2" |&nbsp;Top speed&nbsp;
! rowspan="2" |&nbsp;Number&nbsp;
! rowspan="2" |&nbsp;Routes operated&nbsp;
! rowspan="2" |&nbsp;Built&nbsp;
! rowspan="2" |&nbsp;Remarks&nbsp;
|----- bgcolor=#f9f9f9
!&nbsp;mph&nbsp;
! km/h&nbsp;
|-
|''[[NS Class 186]]''
|[[File:NS Hispeed locomotive E186 120 arrives at Brussels South.jpg|100px]]
|[[Locomotive]]
|100
|160
|35<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.somda.nl/nieuws/165/ |title = Somda nieuws - Somda}}</ref>
|
[[Amsterdam Centraal station|Amsterdam]]–[[Schiphol Airport railway station|Schiphol]]–[[Rotterdam Centraal station|Rotterdam]]–[[Breda railway station|Breda]]<br/><br/>
[[Amsterdam Centraal station|Amsterdam]]–[[Schiphol Airport railway station|Schiphol]]–[[Rotterdam Centraal station|Rotterdam]]<br/><br/>
[[Den Haag Centraal railway station|The Hague]]{{dash}}[[Rotterdam Centraal station|Rotterdam]]{{dash}}[[Breda railway station|Breda]]{{dash}}[[Eindhoven railway station|Eindhoven]]
| 2008–2009,<br/>2014–2015
|
|-
|''NS ICRm'' (''Prio'')
|[[File:ICR 50 8420-70 581-8.jpg|100px]]
|[[Railroad car|Carriage]]
|100
|160
|60<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.somda.nl/matsms/ | title=Materieelsamenstellingen - Somda | access-date=2015-04-07 | archive-date=2019-11-16 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191116131138/https://www.somda.nl/matsms/ | url-status=dead }}</ref>
|
[[Amsterdam Centraal station|Amsterdam]]–[[Schiphol Airport railway station|Schiphol]]–[[Rotterdam Centraal station|Rotterdam]]–[[Breda railway station|Breda]]<br/><br/>[[Amsterdam Centraal station|Amsterdam]]–[[Schiphol Airport railway station|Schiphol]]–[[Rotterdam Centraal railway station|Rotterdam]]<br/><br/>
[[Den Haag Centraal railway station|The Hague]]{{dash}}[[Rotterdam Centraal station|Rotterdam]]{{dash}}[[Breda railway station|Breda]]{{dash}}[[Eindhoven railway station|Eindhoven]]
| 1980–1988<ref>[[:nl:Intercityrijtuig]]</ref>
|
|-
|[[NS Intercity Nieuwe Generatie|''NS ICNG'']]
|[[File:ICNG 3110.jpg|frameless|100x100px]]
|[[Electric multiple unit|EMU]]
|124
|200
|79
|[[Amsterdam Centraal station|Amsterdam]]–[[Schiphol Airport railway station|Schiphol]]–[[Rotterdam Centraal station|Rotterdam]]<br/><br/>
[[Den Haag Centraal railway station|The Hague]]{{dash}}[[Rotterdam Centraal station|Rotterdam]]{{dash}}[[Breda railway station|Breda]]{{dash}}[[Eindhoven railway station|Eindhoven]]
|2018–
|
|- 
|[[V250 (train)|''V250'']]
|[[File:Fyra V250 4806.jpg|100px]]
|[[Electric multiple unit|EMU]]
|155
|250
|19
|
[[Amsterdam Centraal station|Amsterdam]]–[[Schiphol Airport railway station|Schiphol]]–[[Rotterdam Centraal station|Rotterdam]]
| 2008–2012
| No longer in service
|}

===International trains===

====Benelux train====
The "Benelux train", in the Netherlands also known as '''Intercity Brussel''', which existed before the Fyra, has been put into service again since the latter's demise, albeit under a renewed livery. It is a conventional InterCity train running between Amsterdam and Brussels-South using the [[Schiphol–Antwerp high-speed railway]] with reverse in Breda. These trains run every hour in both directions between Rotterdam and Brussels, serving Schiphol and Amsterdam CS north of Rotterdam.

Benelux train services to The Hague have been cancelled starting January 2022. These trains are redirected to Amsterdam over the HSL-Zuid, increasing the Amsterdam–Breda–Brussels service to sixteen trains per day in each direction instead of twelve but obliging travellers between Brussels and The Hague to change trains in Rotterdam or in Breda, albeit with a couple of minutes' reduction in total travel time.<ref name=":0">[https://www.spoorpro.nl/materieel/2020/09/01/tienminutentrein-vanaf-2022-op-trajecten-nijmegen-schiphol-en-schiphol-rotterdam/?gdpr=accept "Tienminutentrein vanaf 2022 op trajecten Nijmegen-Schiphol en Schiphol-Rotterdam"] (in Dutch), on ''www.spoorpro.nl'', published 1 September 2020 15:10, consulted 9 November 2021</ref>

The current rolling stock is scheduled to be replaced by the NS ICNG-B stock starting 2025.

{| class="wikitable"
|----- bgcolor="#f9f9f9"
! rowspan="2" |&nbsp;Class&nbsp;
! rowspan="2" |Illustration
! rowspan="2" |&nbsp;Type&nbsp;
! colspan="2" |&nbsp;Top speed&nbsp;
! rowspan="2" |&nbsp;Number&nbsp;
! rowspan="2" |&nbsp;Routes operated&nbsp;
! rowspan="2" |&nbsp;Built&nbsp;
! rowspan="2" |&nbsp;Remarks&nbsp;
|----- bgcolor="#f9f9f9"
!&nbsp;mph&nbsp;
! km/h&nbsp;
|-
| ''[[Belgian Railways Class 28 (Bombardier)|SNCB Class 28]] or [[NS Class 186]]''
| [[File:NMBS2824-Teuge(NL)-20090821.jpg|100px]]
| [[Locomotive]]
| 100
| 160
| &nbsp;
| rowspan="3" | [[Amsterdam CS]]{{dash}}[[Bruxelles-Midi]]
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
|-
| NS ''ICRm'' (''Prio'')
| [[File:Traxx loc with benelux train.jpg|100px]]
| [[Carriage]]
| 100
| 160
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
|-
|[[NS Intercity Nieuwe Generatie|''NS ICNG-B'']]
|[[File:ICNG 3303, station Amersfoort, 11 januari 2023 (52621151840).jpg|frameless|100x100px]]
|[[Electric multiple unit|EMU]]
|124
|200
|20
|2018–
|
|}
Stations served:
* [[Amsterdam CS|Amsterdam Central]]
* [[Schiphol Airport railway station|Schiphol Airport]] 
* [[Rotterdam CS|Rotterdam Central]]
* [[Breda railway station|Breda]]
* [[Noorderkempen railway station|Noorderkempen]] (Brecht)
* [[Antwerpen-Centraal|Antwerpen-Central]]
* [[Antwerpen-Berchem railway station|Antwerpen-Berchem]]
* [[Mechelen railway station|Mechelen]]
* [[Brussels National Airport railway station|Brussels-Airport/Zaventem]]
* [[Brussels North|Brussels-North]]
* [[Brussels Central|Brussels-Central]]
* [[Brussels-South railway station|Brussels-South]]

====Eurostar====
[[Eurostar]] runs 16 times a day on the HSL-Zuid with speeds up to 300&nbsp;km/h. Since late 2020 the Eurostar service to London is operated without change in Brussels due to a treaty with the British government, before the treaty passengers to the UK needed to disembark in Brussels and undergo customs screenings.:

* 11 trains per day: Amsterdam Centraal{{dash}}Schiphol{{dash}}Rotterdam Centraal{{dash}}Antwerp{{dash}}Brussels Midi{{dash}}Paris Nord
* 4 trains per day: Amsterdam Centraal{{dash}}Rotterdam Centraal{{dash}}Brussels Midi{{dash}}Lille Europe{{dash}}London St Pancras International
* 1 train per day: Amsterdam Centraal{{dash}}Schiphol{{dash}}Rotterdam Centraal{{dash}}Antwerp{{dash}}Brussels Midi{{dash}}[[Charles de Gaulle Airport|Paris CDG Airport]]{{dash}}[[Marne-la-Vallée–Chessy station|Marne-la-Vallée]] Disneyland
*Winter seasonal service: 1 train per week Amsterdam Centraal{{dash}}Schiphol{{dash}}Rotterdam Centraal{{dash}}Antwerp{{dash}}Brussels Midi{{dash}}Chambéry{{dash}}Bourg-Saint-Maurice
* Summer seasonal service: 1 train per week Amsterdam Centraal{{dash}}Schiphol{{dash}}Rotterdam Centraal{{dash}}Antwerp{{dash}}Brussels Midi{{dash}}Valence TGV{{dash}}Marseilles St. Charles

{| class="wikitable"
|----- bgcolor=#f9f9f9
! rowspan="2" |&nbsp;Class&nbsp;
! rowspan="2" |Illustration
! rowspan="2" |&nbsp;Type&nbsp;
! colspan="2" |&nbsp;Top speed&nbsp;
! rowspan="2" |&nbsp;Number&nbsp;
! rowspan="2" |&nbsp;Routes operated&nbsp;
! rowspan="2" |&nbsp;Built&nbsp;
|----- bgcolor=#f9f9f9
!&nbsp;mph&nbsp;
! km/h&nbsp;
|-
|[[SNCF TGV Réseau|''Thalys PBA'']]
|[[File:Thalys TGV PBA 4535 (8579062212).jpg|100px]]
| rowspan="2"|[[Electric multiple unit|EMU]]
| rowspan="2"|186
| rowspan="2"|300
|9
| rowspan="2"|
[[Amsterdam Centraal station|Amsterdam]]{{dash}}[[Schiphol Airport railway station|Schiphol]]{{dash}}[[Rotterdam Centraal station|Rotterdam]]{{dash}}[[Antwerpen-Centraal railway station|Antwerp]]{{dash}}[[Brussels-South railway station|Brussels-South]]{{dash}}[[Gare du Nord|Paris Nord]]<br/><br/>
[[Amsterdam Centraal station|Amsterdam]]{{dash}}[[Schiphol Airport railway station|Schiphol]]{{dash}}[[Rotterdam Centraal station|Rotterdam]]{{dash}}[[Antwerpen-Centraal railway station|Antwerp]]{{dash}}[[Brussels-South railway station|Brussels-South]]{{dash}}[[Gare de Lille Europe|Lille Europe]]
| 1996
|-
|[[TGV Thalys PBKA|''Thalys PBKA'']]
|[[File:Thalys PBKA Refurbished Nederland.jpg|100px]]
|17
|1997
|-
|[[British Rail Class 374|''Eurostar e320'']]
|[[File:Eurostar Class 374 on HS1 (cropped).jpg|frameless|100x100px]]
|[[Electric multiple unit|EMU]]
|200
|320
|17
|[[Amsterdam Centraal station|Amsterdam]]{{dash}}[[Rotterdam Centraal station|Rotterdam]]{{dash}}[[Brussels-South railway station|Brussels-South]]{{dash}}[[Gare de Lille Europe|Lille Europe]] (limited service){{dash}}[[St Pancras railway station|London St. Pancras Int'l]]
|2011–2018
|}

*

====[[Fyra]]====
Fyra International was an international high speed train service operated with [[V250 (train)|V250]] rolling stock between Amsterdam Centraal{{dash}}Schiphol Airport{{dash}}Rotterdam Centraal{{dash}}Antwerp{{dash}}Brussels, 10 times daily. Due to intensive problems with V250, this service only ran for forty days, between 8 December 2012 and 17 January 2013. The trains were eventually returned to [[Ansaldobreda]].

{| class="wikitable"
|----- bgcolor=#f9f9f9
! rowspan="2" |&nbsp;Class&nbsp;
! rowspan="2" |Illustration
! rowspan="2" |&nbsp;Type&nbsp;
! colspan="2" |&nbsp;Top speed&nbsp;
! rowspan="2" |&nbsp;Number&nbsp;
! rowspan="2" |&nbsp;Routes operated&nbsp;
! rowspan="2" |&nbsp;Built&nbsp;
! rowspan="2" |&nbsp;Remarks&nbsp;

|----- bgcolor=#f9f9f9
!&nbsp;mph&nbsp;
! km/h&nbsp;
|-
|[[V250 (train)|''V250'']]
|[[File:Fyra V250 4806.jpg|100px]]
|[[Electric multiple unit|EMU]]
|155
|250
|19
|
[[Amsterdam Centraal station|Amsterdam]]{{dash}}[[Schiphol Airport railway station|Schiphol]]{{dash}}[[Rotterdam Centraal station|Rotterdam]]{{dash}}[[Antwerpen-Centraal railway station|Antwerp]]{{dash}}[[Brussels Central Station|Brussels-Central]]{{dash}}[[Brussels-South railway station|Brussels-South]]
| 2008–2012
|No longer in service
|}

==Travel times==
[[File:IC-Direct op de Moerdijk.jpg|thumb|[[Intercity Direct]] domestic service crossing the [[Moerdijk bridges]]]]
[[File:Netherlands HSL South1.jpg|thumb|Rail tunnel under the [[Dordtsche Kil]]]]
[[File:Om Rotterdam Airport te vrijwaren van hinder, loopt het hogesnelheidsspoor daar door een vier kilometer lange tunnel.jpg|thumb|HSL tunnel near Rotterdam]]
The new line shortened travel times for international and domestic services departing from [[Amsterdam]].
* From Amsterdam to Rotterdam (70&nbsp;km or 44&nbsp;mi): 43 minutes (previously 58 minutes)
* From Amsterdam to Breda (113&nbsp;km or 70&nbsp;mi): 59 minutes (previously 1 hour and 44 minutes)
* From Amsterdam to Antwerp (164.5&nbsp;km or 102&nbsp;mi): 1 hour and 10 minutes (previously 2 hours)
* From Amsterdam to Brussels (212&nbsp;km or 132&nbsp;mi): 1 hour and 44 minutes (previously 2 hours and 40 minutes)
* From Amsterdam to Paris (531&nbsp;km or 330&nbsp;mi): 3 hours and 13 minutes (previously 4 hours and 11 minutes)<ref name="SNCFfigures2008">{{cite web |url=http://www.sncf.com/resources/fr_FR/press/kits/PR0002_20090212.pdf |title=Bilan de l'année 2008 : Perspectives 2009 |date=2009-02-12 |language=fr |publisher=[[SNCF]] |access-date=2009-03-07 |pages=See p. 24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090319045214/http://www.sncf.com/resources/fr_FR/press/kits/PR0002_20090212.pdf |archive-date=2009-03-19 }}</ref>

From [[Roosendaal]], however, the travel times have become longer.
* From Roosendaal to Brussels (82&nbsp;km or 50&nbsp;mi): 1 hour and 16 minutes not including the change of trains in Breda (previously 1 hour and 8 minutes)

Thalys reported that its trains would start using the line from December 2009, with Paris to Amsterdam journeys being 3 hours and 45 minutes and Brussels to Amsterdam journeys being 2 hours and 23 minutes, on account of a plan to gradually increase the line speed, with the same trains in June taking 3 hours and 18 minutes and 1 hour and 58 minutes.<ref>[http://www.thalys.com/fr/en/timetables/Brussels/Amsterdam?old_o=FRPNO&old_d=NLAMA Timetables] thalys.com</ref> Nowadays trains travel from Paris and Brussels to Amsterdam in respectively 3 hours and 13 minutes and 1 hour and 44 minutes.

==Fares and tickets==
On the domestic [[Intercity Direct]] services (running from Amsterdam to Schiphol, Rotterdam and Breda) all regular [[Nederlandse Spoorwegen]] (NS) tickets are valid. A supplement (Dutch: ''toeslag'') is required only for domestic travel including the section between Schiphol and Rotterdam. This costs €2.60 one-way in rush hour, and €1.56 outside rush hour.<ref>{{cite web|title=Intercity Direct Toeslag|url=https://www.ns.nl/abonnementen/overig/intercity-direct-toeslag.html|publisher=NS}}</ref> Domestic tickets cannot be used on the international Thalys trains where reservations are mandatory.

==Technical problems==
===ETCS===
Initially the HSL-Zuid route supported speeds of up to 160&nbsp;km/h on both the southern Rotterdam to Breda and the northern Rotterdam to Schiphol section of the line. This was because ETCS Level 2 had not commenced operations and Level 1 was still in use. Various reliability issues prevented the use of Level 2 for sustainable commercial service.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.railwaygazette.com/nc/news/single-view/view/fyra-launch-delayed-again.html | title=Fyra launch delayed again | publisher=[[Railway Gazette International]] | date=1 July 2010 | access-date=25 February 2011 | archive-date=9 August 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809033025/https://www.railwaygazette.com/nc/news/single-view/view/fyra-launch-delayed-again.html | url-status=dead }}</ref> Another issue was that the updated ETCS software of the Bombardier TRAXX locomotives was not certified for ETCS Level 2 operation.  Railway Gazette reported in April 2011 that certification had been achieved and indeed Level 2 operations began on the southern section in May 2011 with Fyra services running at up to 160&nbsp;km/h and Thalys at up to 300&nbsp;km/h.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.railwaygazette.com/nc/news/single-view/view/fyra-shuttles-run-through-to-breda.html| title=ETCS Level 2 Compatibility Achieved | publisher=Railway Gazette}}</ref> Level 2 went into operation on the northern part of the line in September 2011 and Thalys trains were then able to commence 300&nbsp;km/h operations on that section. The V250 Fyra trains were hoped to enter service in December 2011 and indeed trial service (without passengers) began using first one, then two trains. As of March 2012 driver and train crew instruction runs were taking place with scheduled, non-passenger-carrying V250 interleaved between the passenger services and it was expected that these units would begin passenger operation in April 2012. The ETCS systems of wayside (Thales) and onboard (Traxx: Bombardier; Thalys & V250: Ansaldo STS) are interworking satisfactorily. With changes in the NS concession arrangements from 2015, the HSL service was combined with the national concession. The amount of Traxx locomotives and Prio carriages will be increased over the coming years as a stopgap measure until new intercity trains (foreseen in 2021/2022) will enter service. As a first step NS announced in December 2013 that they had placed an order at Bombardier for 19 Traxx locomotives.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.volkskrant.nl/dossier-archief/ns-bestelt-19-nieuwe-traxx-locomotieven~a3564708/|title=NS bestelt 19 nieuwe Traxx-locomotieven|date=19 December 2013}}</ref>

===V250===
The [[V250 (train)|V250 trains]] were ordered at the Italian train manufacturer [[AnsaldoBreda]] and were delivered in mid-2009. On 31 May 2013, the Belgian railway company NMBS/SNCB decided to stop the Fyra project and refused delivery of the trains it had ordered.<ref>{{cite web| url  =http://www.hln.be/hln/nl/1901/reisnieuws/article/detail/1643431/2013/05/31/NMBS-kapt-definitief-met-Fyra.dhtml| title = NMBS bevestigt: Belgische spoorwegen stoppen met Fyra| language = nl| date = 31 May 2013| work = www.hln.be}}</ref> On 3 June 2013, the Dutch national railway company NS announced that it had made a similar evaluation, and expressed its desire to stop with the V250 project.<ref>{{cite web| url  =http://www.nu.nl/binnenland/3491209/ns-stopt-met-fyra.html| title = NS stopt met Fyra| language = nl| date = 3 June 2013| work = www.nu.nl}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url  =http://nos.nl/artikel/513931-ook-ns-ziet-niets-meer-in-fyra.html| title = Ook NS ziet niets meer in Fyra |language= nl| date = 3 June 2013| work = NOS}}</ref> The Dutch department of finance agreed, and recommended that NS do "everything in its power" to get a refund from AnsaldoBreda.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/passenger/single-view/view/alternatives-investigated-as-ns-drops-fyra-v250s-too.html|access-date=11 June 2013|title=Alternatives investigated as NS drops Fyra V250s too|work=[[Railway Gazette International]]|archive-date=8 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170708223728/http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/passenger/single-view/view/alternatives-investigated-as-ns-drops-fyra-v250s-too.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> At a press conference on 6 June 2013, the manufacturer claimed that the trains had been handled poorly by running the trains too fast (at maximum commercial speed of 250&nbsp;km/h) under snow conditions. AnsaldoBreda has also threatened to sue the railways for the damage to its reputation.<ref name=AB-feuds>{{cite news|author= Douglas John Bowen|url=http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/passenger/high-performance/ansaldobreda-feuds-with-belgian-dutch-railways.html|title=AnsaldoBreda feuds with Belgian, Dutch railways | date = 10 June 2013|access-date=24 July 2013|journal=[[Railway Age]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ansaldobreda.it/portals/0/conferenza/V250%20-%20Conferenza%20stampa%2006062013%20-Final_%20ENG.pdf |title=V250 – Press Conference, Naples |date=6 June 2013 |publisher=AnsaldoBreda |access-date=28 August 2013 }}{{Dead link|date=July 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

On 17 March 2014 NS announced a settlement with AnsaldoBreda had been reached. The 9 NS trains will be returned to AnsaldoBreda for a refund of 125 million euros, 88 million euros less than originally paid. NS will receive an additional compensation for each resold unit to a maximum of 21 million euros.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.volkskrant.nl/vk/nl/2686/Binnenland/article/detail/3616840/2014/03/17/NS-stuurt-Fyra-terug-naar-Italie-en-krijgt-125-miljoen.dhtml|access-date=17 March 2014|title=NS stuurt Fyra terug naar Italië en krijgt 125 miljoen |trans-title=NS return Fyra to Italy and obtains 125 million |language=nl}}</ref> In May 2014, NMBS/SNCB, AnsaldoBreda and its controlling company Finmeccanica announced that they reached a settlement that confirms the cancellation of the train orders and includes the payment of 2.5 million euros to NMBS/SNCB.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Belgian Railways NMBS/SNCB, AnsaldoBreda and Finmeccanica conclude V250 case|url=http://www.finmeccanica.com/en/-/ferrovie-belghe-ansaldobreda-belgianrailways-ansaldobreda|website=www.leonardocompany.com|access-date=17 March 2015|ref=Finmaccanica-SNCB-Settlement}}</ref>

=== Discovery of cracks and speed restrictions ===
Cracks were discovered in the welds on the Zuidweg viaduct near [[Rijpwetering]] in October 2022, believed to be caused by design error with the deformation of the rubber support blocks. There was approximately 80 cm of horizontal displacement of the track on the viaduct at that point, which had been monitored since construction in 2009. There were questions raised if the piling of the viaduct could withstand the force exerted by running trains at high speed. 9 other viaducts were investigated, all also between the northern portal of the 8.67 km Groenehart tunnel and the junction where it joins the conventional network at [[Hoofddorp]], due to being constructed in a similar manner, and a 160 km/h restriction was placed across these.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hakimian |first=Rob |date=2023-08-01 |title=Cracked viaduct on Netherlands high speed rail sees speed restriction extended for two years |url=https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/cracked-viaduct-on-netherlands-high-speed-rail-sees-speed-restriction-extended-for-two-years-01-08-2023/ |work=[[New Civil Engineer]]}}</ref> The structures were designed and built by [[Rijkswaterstaat]], the civil engineering department of the [[Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Smith |first=Kevin |date=11 February 2025 |title=ProRail: HSL-South speed restrictions to last for “years” |url=https://www.railjournal.com/passenger/high-speed/prorail-hsl-south-speed-restrictions-to-last-for-years/ |work=[[International Railway Journal]]}}</ref>

In January 2024, 9 structures including bridges and viaducts were deemed not strong enough to withstand trains passing at high speed, meaning the restriction was further lowered from 160 km/h to 120 km/h.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |date=25 January 2024 |title=Minder treinen op hsl-traject tussen Amsterdam en Rotterdam door scheurvorming |trans-title=Fewer trains on the HSL route between Amsterdam and Rotterdam due to crack formation |url=https://nos.nl/artikel/2506255-minder-treinen-op-hsl-traject-tussen-amsterdam-en-rotterdam-door-scheurvorming |work=[[Nederlandse Omroep Stichting]] |language=nl}}</ref>

Investigations by [[ProRail]], the infrastructure manager, reduced the speed restriction further to 80 km/h on 5 of the 10 viaducts in July 2024, as it was deemed the viaducts were too light and therefore unstable with trains passing at high speed.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |date=9 July 2024 |title=Snelheid op HSL verder omlaag: nog maar 80 kilometer per uur bij vijf viaducten |trans-title=Speed on HSL further reduced: only 80 kilometers per hour on five viaducts |url=https://nos.nl/artikel/2528184-snelheid-op-hsl-verder-omlaag-nog-maar-80-kilometer-per-uur-bij-vijf-viaducten |work=[[Nederlandse Omroep Stichting]] |language=nl}}</ref> Horizontal movement continues to be monitored on the structures and the 10 structures will likely need to be replaced, with ProRail suggesting work would be completed by 2026 at the earliest. Delays will increase by a further 2–3 minutes, for a total of up to 10 minutes on the northern part of HSL-Zuid.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Vosman |first=Quintus |date=2024-07-11 |title=Speed restrictions tightened on HSL-South |url=https://www.railjournal.com/passenger/high-speed/speed-restrictions-tightened-on-hsl-south/ |work=[[International Railway Journal]]}}</ref> On 15 December 2024, the speed restriction was reverted on the viaducts, from 80 km/h back to 120 km/h.<ref>{{Cite news |last= |date=28 November 2024 |title=Extra snelheidsbeperking HSL vanaf 15 december weg |trans-title=Additional speed restriction on HSL to be removed from 15 December |url=https://www.treinreiziger.nl/extra-snelheidsbeperking-hsl-vanaf-15-december-weg/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241211035331/https://www.treinreiziger.nl/extra-snelheidsbeperking-hsl-vanaf-15-december-weg/ |archive-date=11 December 2024 |access-date= |work=Treinreiziger.nl |language=nl-NL}}</ref>

In February 2025, the CEO of ProRail, John Voppen, reported that repairs will take a number of years to complete, with issues unique to each viaduct. Work on the Zuidweg viaduct near Rijpwetering will start later this year. Voppen ruled out vibrating [[Retaining wall#Sheet piling|sheet piles]] to stabilise the structure, due to concerns of further damage. Screwing piles will also need heavy machinery that will be difficult to reach the sites by road, adding to the delays.<ref>{{Cite news |date=6 February 2025 |title=ProRail verwacht nog jaren hinder op HSL door ontwerpfouten |trans-title=ProRail expects years of disruption on HSL due to design errors |url=https://www.treinreiziger.nl/prorail-verwacht-nog-jaren-hinder-op-hsl-door-ontwerpfouten/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250212095950/https://www.treinreiziger.nl/prorail-verwacht-nog-jaren-hinder-op-hsl-door-ontwerpfouten/ |archive-date=12 February 2025 |work=Treinreiziger.nl |language=nl-NL}}</ref>

The problems have necessitated timetable changes, and the line is now running 3 trains per hour instead of 5. International trains continue to run, though taking longer.<ref name=":2" />

==Future==
In October 2010, [[Deutsche Bahn]] (DB) announced plans to directly connect Amsterdam and Rotterdam with London, using the [[Channel Tunnel]]. This proposal would see services from London formed out of a pair of DB's [[Siemens Velaro|Class 407]] international [[InterCity Express|ICE]] units, which would then divide in Brussels, with one train to Frankfurt and the other to Amsterdam. At approximately the same time, [[Eurostar]] also announced proposals to run services direct to Amsterdam, which would use its planned new [[British Rail Class 374|e320]] trains, and would be capable of operating on the infrastructure of the Dutch classic network as well as the HSL-Zuid. DB's plan has been buried since.

==See also==
*[[High-speed rail in Belgium]]
*[[High-speed rail in the Netherlands]]
*[[High-speed rail in Europe]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|HSL-Zuid}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060307201237/http://www.highspeedalliance.nl/static/hsa/index_en.html HSA website]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050908033926/http://www.home.zonnet.nl/mtotto/HSLzuid.htm HSL-Zuid, the Dutch TGV line]
*[http://www.open.ou.nl//hon/bijzond.htm Photos of construction work], from 2001 till present {{in lang|nl}}

{{High-speed railway lines}}
{{Eurostar navbox}}

{{coord missing|Netherlands}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hsl-Zuid}}
[[Category:High-speed railway lines in the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Railway tunnels in the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Railway lines opened in 2009]]
[[Category:Railway lines in North Holland]]
[[Category:Railway lines in South Holland]]
[[Category:Railway lines in North Brabant]]
[[Category:Rail transport in Rotterdam]]
[[Category:Rail transport in Amsterdam]]
[[Category:Transport in Breda]]