For the HSL (also HLS) color space, see HLS color space
The HSL South is the Dutch part of a new high-speed railroad being built between Schiphol Airport and Brussels. The Belgian part is called HSL4.
It is expected to be operational in 2007. High Speed Alliance (HSA) will be the railway company operating the Dutch part; for domestic services it gets the exclusive rights, for international services there may be competition. There will be high-speed trains on the main line and so-called shuttle trains running partly on new, partly on old rail tracks, connecting to Den Haag Centraal and Breda; the shuttle trains are faster than regular trains on the new track but not as fast as high-speed trains.
The HSL Project is the largest Public Private Partnership (PPP) contract ever awarded by the Dutch government.
Fares
Fares will be 60% higher than for regular trains. There has been discussion about lowering the fee the HSA has to pay the state for the use of the HSL, in exchange for asking fares which are only 25 % higher than normal, but the state has rejected this.
As far as known now, rail passes for the Netherlands will neither be valid on the high-speed trains nor on the shuttle trains.
Domestic train services for regular fares will be reduced.
Route from north to south
At Nieuw-Vennep it branches off the existing line on the east side, proceeds along the west side of Roelofarendsveen and Hoogmade and enters a tunnel east of Leiderdorp which continues until the west of Hazerswoude-Dorp (the purpose of the tunnel is to protect the character of the Green Heart). Subsequently it passes on the east side of Benthuizen and Zoetermeer, between Berkel en Rodenrijs and Bergschenhoek, and after a tunnel, joins the existing line again at the north of Rotterdam.
At Barendrecht the two tracks cross each other and the trains start driving on the left like in Belgium and France.
The route deviates again from the existing line between Heerjansdam and the Hollands Diep: it passes on the west side of Zwijndrecht and 's-Gravendeel with tunnels under the Oude Maas and Dordtsche Kil.
As opposed to the existing line to Belgium through Roosendaal, the route follows the existing line to Breda, branching off to the west side at Prinsenbeek.
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