Safety
The train is a safe mode of transport. Experience has taught us that travelling by train is a lot safer than travelling by car and at least as safe as air travel. Even in the places where the high speed trains reach their top speed of 300 kilometres per hour, they are at least as safe as regular trains. France and Japan have been using high speed trains for years, without a single major accident to date. Of course such results can only be achieved if safety is high on the agenda. And on the Dutch HSL, it is high on the agenda.
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The HSL is a safe line. The chance of a collision, derailment or accident is minimal, thanks to a well-considered design and track safety system. Strict safety requirements and measures for the concrete substructure, rail systems and other superstructure components, the vicinity of the line, the operator and the trains, all minimise the risks on and along the track and inside the train, and limit the consequences in the event something does go wrong.
In all phases of the HSL project, it is safety first. In a literal and figurative sense: the safety of the transport system was one of the main aspects of the design and is one of the main aspects in the construction and delivery, and of course in the operational phase. This is guaranteed because safety has been an important component since the planning phase, with various aspects being regularly tested. An integral safety plan describes the objective, formulates requirements and translates these into standards and stipulations, design and execution.
Clever design
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The clever design of the HSL makes speeds of 300 km/hour possible and prevents accidents and derailments. In this respect, the bed of the HSL is as stable, horizontal and straight as possible. The foundation of the HSL largely consists of a concrete slab supported by piles, that cannot subside (the so-called no-recess slab) and contains as few curves as possible. But there are more examples of safety measures.
No level crossings
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The HSL has not a single level crossing. This eliminates the main cause of collisions. The train always passes under or over roads, motorways, watercourses, bicycle paths and footpaths and other railway tracks. This allows the high speed trains to continue their journey on the entire route without obstruction. In addition, a minimal number of points has been applied to prevent derailment.
Derailment prevention system
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Where necessary, the HSL has a derailment prevention system. Between the HSL rails there is a concrete plinth, which prevents any derailed carriage from ending up far from the track. The risk of derailment is minimal as it is, but in the event that a high speed train derails, the chance that it runs of the embankment or collides with an oncoming trains is extremely slight, thanks to this technology.
Screening off the surroundings
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To prevent people or animals wandering onto the track, the HSL is completely screened off from the surroundings by means of sound barriers, fences and ditches. In this way, collisions and derailments can be prevented.
All viaducts under which the high speed trains pass are screened off with fencing, also to prevent accidents and vandalism.
Speed restrictions
High-speed trains travel at top speed at much as possible, expect when approaching or leaving the stations on regular train tracks.
See also: ERTMS, Safe trains and Safety in tunnels.