Benelux
operator willing to take it on preferably without any financial support. Arriva Netherlands was chosen and preparations are underway for the service to start at the end of 2014. However, as the new conventional
The Dutch government has now decided to merge both concessions with effect from 2015, so that HSL-South will be operated as part of the national network.
service provided by NS and SNCB will fulfil The Hague’s desire for a direct train to Brussels, both Arriva and the city are now considering whether to cancel the project.
In the Netherlands the public transport market is regulated, and a ‘core network’ of services has been defined and granted to NS as one concession. A separate concession was granted to High Speed Alliance (HSA), a joint venture of NS (90%) and KLM airlines (10%), to operate HSL-South. Besides agreeing to various performance conditions, such as punctuality and capacity, HSA signed up to a very high track access fee of É148m per year.
Although the infrastructure was not completed on time, HSA was unable to start high-speed services as the V250 trains were continually delayed and substitute 160km/h locomotive-hauled trains were not ready either. Fyra services finally started in September 2009 running between Amsterdam and Rotterdam initially, later being extended south to Breda. Despite carrying the Fyra brand, the services were not high- speed. Indeed, HSL-South was opened without any fanfare. This is probably the first time a new high-speed line has been opened without an official inauguration.
Financial difficulties In 2011 HSA got into financial
difficulties due to the poor state of Fyra services, coupled with the high access charges. The Dutch minister of transport reacted by lowering the access charges to É101m per year. The Dutch government has now decided to merge both concessions with effect from 2015, so that HSL-South will be operated as part of the national network, rather than the original concept of using it as an exclusively high-speed line. Meanwhile Arriva Netherlands together with DB, its parent company,
proposed the introduction of Dutch domestic high-speed services as well as services to Brussels using 300km/h trains. But the secretary of state for infrastructure quickly rejected the plan, despite the political headache and the potential loss of revenue.
The actions of the Dutch government have been much criticised, and several complaints have been filed with the Dutch and European anti-monopoly authorities. An investigation is underway into the legality of providing state aid to NS after granting the concession, and the Dutch Parliament has launched an investigation. Meanwhile AnsaldoBreda and its clients NS and SNCB are fighting in a Dutch court over the V250 trains.
Much time has been lost on the start up and development of the first Dutch high-speed line and after more than half a decade, the operation of HSL-South still has not been fully developed. Indeed it almost collapsed entirely. No effective measures have been taken to achieve the goals and aims of the original high-speed project, while it should have been clear much sooner to all participants that it was on the wrong track. Given the character of railways and its business, the plan now being executed is the next best solution for long-suffering passengers. IRJ
The much-maligned V250 fleet was the source of many of Fyra’s problems and were withdrawn from service in January 2013. 20
IRJ January 2014
Photo: Keith Fender
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