SIGNAL+DRAHT | Issue 12/2011
The challenge of Hanzelijn
In May 2009, ProRail awarded a contract to the Hanza-Rail-Team group for the construction of the Hanzelijn railroad connection. This is a new mainline track between the cities of Lelystad and Zwolle, connecting the north of the Netherlands to Schiphol Amsterdam Airport. The new line will reduce travel time between these two regions as well as traffic on the busy, existing Veluwelijn railroad line. Parts of the corridor between Zwolle and Amsterdam have been prepared for a speed of 160 km/h, whereas Hanzelijn, as per European rules, has been defined as a high-speed line. The challenge of Hanzelijn is to design and construct a track for 200 km/h, using not only existing components for track and catenaries, but also track circuits and so on. The maximum speed allowed according to the current design standards is 140 km/h.