Text 7322, 40 rader
Skriven 2007-10-21 09:35:00 av Michiel van der Vlist (2:280/5555)
     Kommentar till en text av Ward Dossche (2:292/854)
Ärende: St. Bernardus Abt 12
============================
Hello Ward,

On Saturday October 20 2007 21:36, you wrote to Björn Felten:

 WD> Something like that still exists in other areas. For example, trains
 WD> in Belgium run on the left side when there are 2 tracks. In the
 WD> Netherlands however they run on the right side.

Mostly. There are still a few single track streches and at some places both
tracks are used in both directions. But indeed, trains normally run on the
right track. As in most parts of the world.

 WD> So in the border trainstations they need to switch sides.

Trains - unlike cars - can not switch tracks at the whim of the driver. So
there is no risk of a driver making a mistake...

 WD> Plus ... I think the system used in Belgium is 3300V DC while in the
 WD> Netherlands it is less, something like 1500V DC.

Used to be. It is 1800 Volts DC now.

 WD> That implies that between Roosendaal in the Netherlands and Essen in
 WD> Belgium over a distance of a few meters there is no power. So the
 WD> pantograph needs to be lowered and the train passes the lock on
 WD> inertia, then the pantograph is raised again. Belgian locomotives on
 WD> that line are switchable between 1500V, 3300V and 25vK (the French
 WD> system). Dutch locomotives, to my knowledge, are unable to run on the
 WD> Belgian 3300V system.

The new ones probably can. They are going to switch to 25 kV DC, 50 Hz anyway
in the future. All new lines are equiped with isolators suitable for the higher
voltage and the new HSL is already using it. Making multivoltage locomotives is
not as difficult as it used to be. Thanks to modern high power electronics.


Cheers, Michiel

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