seminarworkshoponapproachingan.docVIP

Seminar/Workshop on Approaching anEuropean High Speed Rail Network Ref: INFRA 43407 Basic Structure of High Speed Rail Operation Sven Andersen, Senior Consultant for High Speed Rail retired from Deutsche Bahn AG Summary: Due to the high speed of the trains, the structure of the future operation for High Speed Trains must already be clearly checked in advance when starting the planning of a new high speed line, or rather a high speed network. We can distinguish between two different kinds of operation methods for High Speed Rail: first, the High Speed Trains operate exclusively on their own tracks, and second, High Speed Trains also run over classic lines. The position of the High Speed Stations is now a serious subject, which clearly must be examined, taking into account the High speed operation. Introduction High Speed Rail Operation can’t be carried out like conventional rail operation on classic lines. This is due to the high speed of the trains. Therefore, always a large amount of time is needed for a stop. Also the distances between the stops must increase in order to achieve a sufficient efficiency. The efficiency of a railway system means the quotient of commercial speed divided by the maximum speed of the Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) generating the commercial speed. Operating High Speed Rail (HSR) we can distinguish between two different kinds of Operation methods. (slide Nr. 2). In the first method, the High speed EMU’s run exclusively over their own high speed tracks, which they don’t need to share with other trains. The fundemental reason for this state of affairs must be seen in the different gauge between the High Speed network and the classic network, except in China. High Speed Lines (HSL) all over the world, except in Russia, are built in European gauge (1435 mm) whereas the gauge of the classic network in some countries is different (1067 mm in Japan and China-Taiwan, 1676 mm in Spain). In the second operating method, High Speed Tra