HSL 1

The HSL 1 (French: Ligne à Grande Vitesse (LGV) 1, Dutch: Hogesnelheidslijn 1, English: High-Speed Line 1) is a high-speed rail line which connects Brussels, Belgium, with the LGV Nord at the Belgium–France border. It is 88 km (55 mi) long with 71 km of dedicated high-speed tracks and 17 km of modernised lines. Service began on 14 December 1997.

The line has appreciably shortened journey times, the journey from Paris to Brussels now taking 1:22. In combination with the LGV Nord, it has also impacted international journeys to other cities in France and to London, ensuring high-speed through-running by Eurostar, TGV, Thalys PBA and Thalys PBKA trainsets.

The total construction cost was €1.42 billion. The signalling system installed is the TVM-430 in-cab signalling system, the same as LGV Nord in France, and High Speed 1 in the UK.

Route

Trains leave Brussels-Midi station via a new viaduct completed in 2006 to separate high-speed services from local services. From there they use the traditional lines. At Forest/Vorst the train passes the depot where inspections of Thalys and Eurostar trains may be carried out. At Halle (km 13) the HST tracks split from the mainline and enters its own cut-and-cover section before crossing the Brussels–Charleroi Canal; at km 17 the high-speed line proper diverges from the mainline at the Lembeek Viaduct, supporting 300 km/h speeds.