Fyra high-speed train on a test run in The Hague |
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| Info | |
| Main region(s): | Netherlands |
| Route km operated: | 426 km[1] |
| Parent company: | NS |
| Web site: | www.nshispeed.nl/en |
| Technical | |
| Track length: | no own tracks |
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.
NS Hispeed is part of the Nederlandse Spoorwegen. It currently operates both high-speed and non-high-speed services. Further domestic and international semi-high-speed and high-speed services are to be introduced in the near future.
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NS Hispeed was formed in 2007 when the former international subdivision of NS, NS Internationaal, was rebranded as NS Hispeed. It is a founding member of the Railteam alliance, with a 10% share in the group.
As of December 2007, NS Hispeed trains operate over a number of routes both within the Netherlands and across the borders into Germany and Belgium (and on to France). These are:
Other cross-border services (from Enschede, Maastricht, Nieuweschans, Venlo, Heerlen and Roosendaal) are not part of NS Hispeed, nor is the EuroNight from Amsterdam to Copenhagen / Prague / Warsaw / Minsk / Moscow or the CityNightLine.
NS Hispeed is the Dutch partner in two high-speed international services, Thalys and ICE International. Although the rolling stock for these services is pooled, each partner has purchased and owns a number of units in each fleet. NS owns four ICE 3M EMUs used for the ICE services, and two PBKA EMUs operated by Thalys, all of which are quadricurrent.
NS Hispeed has ordered sixteen V250 trains from Ansaldobreda, with NMBS ordering a further three sets, which will be used for a third high-speed international service Fyra. Fyra will operate high-speed connections between Amsterdam, Schiphol and Rotterdam and ongoing to Breda and Brussels. These sets will be eight carriages long and have a top speed of 250 km/h. Currently, Fyra only runs between Amsterdam, Schiphol and Rotterdam (since the 4th of April also further on to Breda), using hired Bombardier Traxx F140 MS electric locomotives and upgraded ICRm carriages, awaiting the arrival of the new V250 stock.
| Class | Image | Type | Top speed | Number | Built | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mph | km/h | ||||||
| Series 43000 | Electric multiple unit | 186 | 300 | 2 | 1997 | Used for Thalys service | |
| DBAG Class 406 | Electric multiple unit | 199 | 320 | 4 | 1999 | Used for ICE International service | |
| V250 | Electric multiple unit | 155 | 250 | 16 (planned) | 2008-2010 | Will be used for Fyra service | |
At the moment, NS Hispeed has hired twelve Bombardier Traxx F140 MS electric locomotives from Angel Trains, numbered E186 111 to E186 122,[2] to use on the 'Benelux' intercities to Belgium Belgian SNCB Class 11 locomotives that were previously used on this service have now been set aside due to their unreliability, with only one spare locomotive still on standby at the Watergraafsmeer emplacement.