Belgium shares their expertise on the development of a bullet train in California
Sacramento – Assemblymember Cathleen Galgiani (D- Livingston) conducted the first hearing of the Select Committee on High Speed Rail for California today with a presentation from a delegation representing the Belgian High-Speed Line (HSL) Network. Presentations were also made by Mr. Roelof van Ark, CEO of the California High-Speed Rail Authority and Mr. Rod Diridon, a California High-Speed Rail Authority Board Member, highlighting the high-speed systems in France, China, Japan, Korea, Italy and Spain.
Mr. Joseph Borremans, Senior International Project Manager and Representative for North-America of TUC-Rail, announced that Belgium has accepted the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s invitation to participate in the “Peer Review Process” for the state’s system.
“I am pleased to have had the opportunity to meet with Mr. Joseph M. Borremans with the Belgian delegation and to invite him to share his knowledge and expertise with Legislators and others who have an interest in California’s project”, expressed Galgiani. “Today’s hearing was the first in what I hope to be many presentations from our international network of support for California’s high-speed train. Such knowledge will be invaluable to our state’s success.”
The Belgian high speed line connects Brussels and other Belgian cities with the major cities of neighboring countries – Paris, London, Cologne, Rotterdam, and Amsterdam – and form Europe’s first international high speed network.
The Select Committee’s primary focus will be what California can learn from other countries who have built and successfully operated profitable high-speed rail networks.
California is the only state in the nation to have entered into “Memorandums of Understanding” with other countries which have a proven track record of building and operating successful, profitable, high-speed train systems – Belgium, Spain, France, Japan, Germany, Italy, China and the Republic of Korea. “These countries have been sharing their expertise and experience with California’s High-Speed Rail Authority in establishing safety guidelines, and utilizing the most advanced high-speed rail equipment, and this is critically important to our success”, continued Galgiani.
Belgium has been operating high-speed rail since 1997, with routes connecting Belgium to France, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. This agreement includes the exchange of information on technical standards, purchasing and building methods, engineering know-how, funding options as well as operations and maintenance data.
Within the country are approximately 200 miles of high-speed rail lines, which are a combination of dedicated high-speed rail tracks and those called “modernized” tracks. Belgian high-speed line operations are compatible with the main network, with multi-voltage high-speed trains able to use the same basic infrastructure as other services. The Belgian Railways group (TUC RAIL) extended and modernized one of the world's busiest railway networks situated at the heart of Europe and has been involved in many international projects, acquiring valuable experience as a leader in high-speed rail technology.
“There are great opportunities for the United States to learn from this international network, particularly now that some of our neighboring states Oregon, Washington, Nevada along with Vancouver, Canada, are looking to the future and planning for ways to connect with California’s high-speed line to form a ‘Western Corridor’ for high-speed rail”, stated Galgiani.
The HSL is Europe's first international high-speed network (HSN) that links Brussels, Antwerp and Liège with major cities of neighboring countries such as Paris, London, Cologne, Rotterdam and Amsterdam.
Contact: Victoria Grajek (916) 319-2017
