Infrastruct

De voorstellen hier laten zien, hoe het ouderwetse ’streekvervoer’ sterk verbeterd kan worden, na massale investering in nieuwe spoorlijnen. De eerder voorgestelde viersporige spoorlijn Hoorn – Enkhuizen en een aansluitende nieuwe spoorlijn naar Medemblik en Den Helder zouden de ruggengraat vormen van het vervoer in West-Friesland. Ze nemen de vervoersstromen naar Hoorn voor hun rekening, en dat laat ruimte voor nieuwe dwarsverbindingen. Enkele lokale aanpassingen zijn dan nodig: korte busbanen en een tunnel. De buslijnen kunnen ook geïntegreerd worden met een ’streektram’, op het tracé van de museumstoomtram Hoorn – Medemblik, maar ze zijn niet afhankelijk daarvan. De tramlijn (eigenlijk een voormalige lokaalspoorlijn) moet sowieso verplaatst worden binnen Hoorn, om uitbouw van het station mogelijk te maken.

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De verdubbelde lijn Hoorn – Enkhuizen zou minstens drie nieuwe stations hebben: tussen Westerblokker en Oosterblokker, bij Westwoud, en in de gemeente Stede Broec bij Grotebroek. Een station is ook mogelijk bij Lutjebroek. De nieuwe lijn richting Den Helder takt af bij Westwoud, en krijgt mogelijk een station bij het bedrijvenpark Westfriesland-Oost (WFO, voormalige veiling), en in elk geval in Wervershoof (naast het winkelcentrum) en aan de rand van Medemblik. Dit station ligt ook op loopafstand van Opperdoes.

Overzicht van de buslijnen

Het voorgestelde nieuwe station Westwoud biedt een overstappunt, halverwege tussen Hoorn en Stede Broec. Daar kunnen de buslijnen via Zwaag en via Oosterblokker eindigen (donkergroen/donkerblauw). Vanuit Westwoud rijdt een bus naar Enkhuizen (rood), door de dorpen van Stede Broec (deze vervangt de kronkelende huidige lijn 318).

Het station Wervershoof wordt ook een knooppunt. Het wordt eindpunt voor een buslijn uit Hoorn, over de hele lengte van Zwaagdijk (oranje). De huidige lijn vanuit Medemblik naar Wervershoof (groen-blauw) zou dan doorrijden naar Hoogkarspel (een dwarsverbinding), in plaats van naar Hoorn (een radiale verbinding). De lus door het dorp wordt gehandhaafd. Er komt ook een lokale buslijn Wervershoof – Enkhuizen (in blauw op detailkaart).

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De lijnen ten noorden van Hoorn worden gebundeld als een stamlijn, tot aan Wognum. Ze rijden langs Nieuwe Steen (Stadhuis) en door Risdam. De Zwaagdijk-lijn (oranje) draait naar het oosten meteen na de N302. Drie lijnen rijden naar de kerk van Wognum, via een nieuw bustunnel onder de A7. Eén draait dan naar rechts, en rijdt via Midwoud en Oppperdoes (violet) naar het station in Medemblik – een logische eindpunt, in plaats van een eindpunt in de polder. Daarbij zou een korte busbaan bij De Buurt misschien handig zijn.

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Eén lijn rijdt via Benningbroek naar Abbekerk (olijfgroen, de enige lijn dat niet bij een station eindigt). Eén rijdt via Wadway naar Opmeer (groen op de detailkaarten), en kan doorgetrokken worden naar Schagen.

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Er komt ook een lijn van Station Medemblik, via Opperdoes, Twisk, Abbekerk, en Opmeer, naar Station Obdam (lichtgroen op de overzichtskaart). Behalve de (niet hinderlijke) knik bij Abbekerk, is dit bijna een rechte lijn. Station Medemblik is zodoende eindpunt van drie lijnen, uit de richtingen Midwoud, Twisk en Wervershoof (en ook voor buslijnen van/naar Wieringermeer, die hier niet beschreven worden).

De nieuwe lijn aan de rand van Medemblik

Tot slot wordt de lijn via Schellinkhout naar Venhuizen (412, drie ritten per dag), doorgetrokken naar Enkhuizen, en in een echte buslijn omgezet (donkergroen op de overzichtskaart). Om gebruik van de bochtige dijk te beperken, is een nieuwe busbaan nodig, door de velden bij Schellinkhout.

Verplaatsing van de museumlijn Hoorn – Medemblik binnen Hoorn, naar een tracé langs Keern, zou een beperkte dienst Hoorn – Wognum mogelijk maken. De lijn zou de N302 in tunnel kruisen, naast de bestaande fiets-tunnel. Bij Wognum zou de tramlijn op het oude tracé aansluiten. Verder passeert de lijn, op weg naar Medemblik, slechts de rand van kleine dorpen: het zal vooral een toeristische attractie blijven,

Tien buslijnen, in combinatie met nieuw en verbeterde spoorlijnen, kunnen bijna alle dorpen van West-Friesland bedienen. De frequentie moet ook hoog zijn: minimaal een kwartier-dienst, liefst een bus elke tien minuten.

This is the second half of a proposal for a high-speed rail line along the eastern flanks of the Alps, from Wien (Vienna) to Maribor. The first part described the line from Wien (Vienna) to Szentgotthárd, via Sopron and Szombathely. This part describes the more difficult alignment, from there to Maribor. Szentgotthárd (population 9000) would be primarily an interchange station, for the regional rail lines. From the station, the new line would first follow the existing line, along the Rába / Raab valley, the Steirische Ostbahn. At Jennersdorf it would turn south, to cross the ridges between the Raab and the plain of the Mur / Mura river. At Doiber it would enter a side valley, turning south-south-west.

View west along the hills between the Raab and the Mura

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From this small valley, the new line would enter a tunnel, from Windisch Minihof to Matjaševci or Kuzma. From Kuzma, it would run south through the valley of the Lukaj stream, to the reservoir Ledavsko jezero. It would then pass east of the lake, into the broad plain of the river Mura, named simply Ravansko (‘the plain’).

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Passing west of Cankova, the line would turn toward the Apače basin (Apaško polje). It would pass Bad Radkersburg and Gornja Radgona – in fact a single town on the river Mur / Mura (Gornja Radgona is Oberradkersburg in German). About 3200 people live on each side, the Austrian half is a district capital (Bezirk Radkersburg, population 23 000). The town was divided in 1919 by the Treaty of Saint-Germain. Near the town, the alignment of the new line should allow for a link line toward Murska Sobota, the small regional capital of Prekmurje. That link would have a regional function, and therefore it should have a station at Radkersburg. It is difficult to combine this with the function of the high-speed line: the most radical option would be a station near the existing road bridge. However, the hill at Gornja Radgona extends to the river, and such an alignment would then cut through the town near the centre. Two other possible options are shown. The line from Maribor (white) could split in the Apaško polje, with a tunnel under the hill to a station in Gornja Radgona (red). In that case there would be no station on the high-speed line. Alternatively, the Murska Sobota line (blue) would split at a junction station north of Radkersburg, but that station would be several km from the town.

Radkersburg and Gornja Radgona from the north

Between Radkersburg / Radgona and Maribor, the line would first make use of the flat ground of the Apaško polje, and then turn south-west toward Maribor. Here too, it would cross a system of valleys and ridges (each about 100 m above valley floor). Many alignments are possible here, making use of some valleys to reduce tunnelling. Most of them would be about 30 km long.

One possible alignment from Szentgotthard to Maribor

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Nearer to Maribor, there is a polje at Pernica, and this flat ground is used by the new motorway to Murska Sobota. The new rail line could follow a similar alignment, before entering a final 3-km tunnel to Maribor station. The south portal of this tunnel would be on the hill just north of Maribor station, avoiding an alignment through the built-up area.

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Maribor is the obvious regional centre (population 111 000). The nearest larger cities are Graz, Zagreb, and Ljubljana. Here, the new line would connect to the existing main line to Ljubljana. A new high-speed line on this axis has been proposed, but there are no concrete plans. The line from Wien could also connect to a possible new line, south to Zagreb. There are regional services to Graz, along the Drava to Klagenfurt, to Ptuj and Čakovec, and along the main line to Celje.

The section Wien – Sopron is 63 km long, , Sopron – Szombathely 52 km, Szombathely – Szentgotthárd 53 km, and Szentgotthárd – Maribor approximately 75 km – giving a total length for the new line, of around 245 km. Not all trains would stop at all stations, and the fastest trains should offer a Wien – Maribor journey of about 90 minutes.

This proposal is for a high-speed rail line along the eastern flanks of the Alps, from Wien (Vienna) to Maribor. It is a variant of the ‘Ungarische Flachbahn’ – the Hungarian Plains Line – which was discussed as an alternative for the Semmering Base Tunnel. The proposal here is broader in scope. It is in principle a high-speed route to south-eastern Europe – and not simply a solution to Austrian planning problems. It could be extended through the basin of the Drava, to Beograd (Belgrad, Belgrade) and beyond.

The Alpine massif ends fairly abruptly on the eastern side, where the Pannonian Plain begins. The edge of the Alps is not a straight line, but it does correspond very roughly to the line Wien – Zagreb. A route at the edge of the mountains can substitute for a trans-Alpine route (over the Semmering Pass). That was the logic of the suggested alternative route from Wien to Graz – the Ungarische Flachbahn via Sopron, connecting to Graz via the Raab valley. During the Cold War, it would have been unthinkable for Austria to build and operate a new railway, through a Warsaw Pact state. The option became a political possibility, when Hungary joined the European Union. However, it remained a solution to an Austrian problem. The proposal here is made from a European perspective, and ignores the national borders – which date from the break-up of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

The new line would diverge near Himberg, from the alignment of the Wien-Raaber Bahn. This line was the historic rail route from Vienna to Budapest – the two capitals of Austria-Hungary. From Himberg, it would run due south, to pass the edge of the Leithagebirge, a ridge north of Eisenstadt.

The A3 motorway at the edge of the Leithagebirge, Wien in the background

The line would therefore pass west of Eisenstadt, parallel to the A3 motorway: it would not serve Eisenstadt itself. (If the line was to run through Eisenstadt, a Leithagebirge tunnel would be needed. That alignment was suggested for the Ungarische Flachbahn). The new line would then run south-east to Sopron, approximately parallel to the Raab – Ödenburg – Ebenfurter Eisenbahn (Hungarian: Győr – Sopron – Ebenfurti Vasút, or GySEV). The Wien – Sopron section would be about 63 km long, starting from the future Wien Hauptbahnhof.

Sopron (population 58 000) is a historic university city, and the logical regional centre of northern Burgenland (see Regional lines Burgenland). From this first stop, the new line would go south to Szombathely. There is an existing rail line between the two, the 63-km GySEV line via Lövő, numbered as Hungarian line 15. However, the line (built 1865) runs in a wide semicircle, to avoid ridges and hills. These would not be a problem for a high-speed line, and a direct alignment is possible. It would start south-east of Sopron, and pass west of Deutschkreuz, between Kleinwarasdorf and Nikitsch, between Nebersdorf and Kroatisch Geresdorf, between Frankenau and Grossmutschen, and near Ólmod. It would then pass east of Kőszeg, and run parallel to the alignment of the local rail line to Szombathely, Hungarian line 18. (This local line was originally part of the the Burgenlandbahn from Sopron). The new line would join the existing alignment at Gencsapáti, and follow it into Szombathely. An almost straight alignment through Burgenland is possible, 52 km long. Elevation would vary from 190 m to 310 m, and two short ridge tunnels would be needed.

Szombathely (population 80 000) is the capital of Vas county (262 000). Here, a possible line to Beograd would diverge, at first running south-south-east. It would run via Zalaegerszeg and Nagykanizsa, and then parallel to the Drava through Slavonia, to Vinkovci and Beograd.

The line to Maribor would follow the existing rail line, from Szombathely to Szentgotthárd via Körmend, Hungarian line 21. It would leave the existing alignment only to by-pass Körmend. The existing line is 54 km long: the new line would be slightly shorter, about 53 km.

Körmend by-pass

The next station would be at Szentgotthárd. The town has a population of only 9000, but it is the only logical station for interchange with the regional rail lines. The existing rail line from Körmend continues as the Steirische Ostbahn to Graz, 76 km further. The station here could also be linked to the Thermenbahn at Fürstenfeld by a new link line (about 20 km).

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The rest of the line, from Szentgotthárd to Maribor, is described in the second part of this post.

This is the second part of a proposal for a coastal rail line from Calais to Oostende. The first part described the upgrading of the existing coastal line, from Calais to Dunkerque, a new line through Dunkerque, and re-opening of the line to Adinkerke. This part describes the line from there to Oostende, along the Flemish coastal resorts. The line would run parallel to the existing coastal tramway, but about 500 to 2000 m inland. The coast here is a single beach, backed by dunes. Most of it is built-up – there are only only 65 km of coast for a Belgian population of over 10 million. The older villages were at the inland edge of the dunes, and often a second village developed at the beach itself, with a similar name (for instance Westende and Westende-Bad).

The station at Adinkerke (officially Station De Panne) is at present the terminus of line 73 from Gent, via the historic town of Veurne (population 8 500). The new line would turn north-east to Koksijde, immediately east of the station. It would pass the edge of Koksijde air base, possibly within its present perimeter. The first station would be on the road between Veurne and Koksijde-Bad (population 6 000). About 1.4 km further, there would be another station at the old village of Koksijde (population 3 500): some demolition is inevitable here.

From Koksijde, the line would run near the dune edge to the next village, Oostduinkerke. Again, this is an old village, and the station would be on the road through the dunes, to the newer resort of Oostduinkerke-Bad. Together they have 8 500 inhabitants.

From here, there are two general route options to Nieuwpoort (population 9 500), at the mouth of the IJzer river. One passes just north of the old town, and south of Westende. The other alignment is further north, closer to the coast, and passes between Westende and the beach. It would have a station for Nieuwpoort-Bad. The disadvantage is, that a station would not be within walking distance, of either the old town or the beach.

In both cases, the line crosses the coastal tramway west of the IJzer. The northern option would cross the river in tunnel: on the southern route, a bridge is also possible. Both allow a station at Westende – the northern option allows a second interchange there, with the coastal tramway. The detail image shows that an alignment through Westende is possible, without substantial demolition. The second detail shows the station on the southern route option, just north of the old town.

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After Westende, the new line would follow the alignment of the highway along the dune edge, the N318. Some of it would be in tunnel: outside built-up zones, surface sections should be possible. The first station on this section would serve Westende-Bad. The line would run in tunnel through Middelkerke itself, with a station at the Town Hall, exactly in the centre of the town. The total municipal population of Middelkerke (including Westende) is 18 000.

East of Middelkerke, the line could divert south of the road alignment to serve the terminal at Oostende airport. (It handles mainly cargo traffic, and summer passenger charters). A station on the road alignment itself would be acceptable, at about 300 m from the terminal. It would also serve Raversijde (population 1 500).

About 500 m east of the terminal, the new line would enter the built-up area of Oostende – the largest city on the coast between Dunkerque and Rotterdam. It has 69 000 inhabitants: with Middelkerke and Bredene about 103 000. In the built-up area, the new line would run in tunnel under the Nieuwpoortsesteenweg / Pieterslaan / Vindictivelaan, to the station. This is almost a straight line, except for one slight angle. There would be two intermediate stations, one on the east side of Mariakerke, the other on the edge of the Westerkwartier (at Torhoutsesteenweg). The line would terminate in tunnel, under the quaysides of an old dock basin, and under the square at Oostende Station.

There is little point in extending services further, since this is a natural interchange point. The station is the terminus of Intercity services from Antwerpen (Antwerp) and Brussels (Bruxelles / Brussel), via Gent and Brugge. (It was built as a ferry terminal, with a quayside next to the station). An extension of the tunnel under the docks is also unnecessary. A new line toward Knokke could start from the existing main line, on the eastern edge of Oostende. In any case, improvement of the coastal tram may be the best option, in that direction: see Oostende – Brugge – Knokke triangle.

The length of the Adinkerke – Oostende section, via the northern alignment at Nieuwpoort, is 30 km. On a completely new line, a journey time of under 30 minutes should be possible, even with 11 intermediate stations. For comparison, the coastal tramway takes 1 hour and 19 minutes for the same journey.