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The new Guillemins station – a railway station for high‐speed trains
Author(s) -
Crémer JeanMarie,
de Ville de Goyet Vincent,
Counasse Clément,
Duchêne Yves,
Fagnoul Véronique
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
stahlbau
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.268
H-Index - 19
eISSN - 1437-1049
pISSN - 0038-9145
DOI - 10.1002/stab.201001393
Subject(s) - train , track (disk drive) , bridge (graph theory) , transport engineering , engineering , telecommunications , railway line , electrical engineering , civil engineering , geography , mechanical engineering , cartography , medicine
Abstract In Liège, the existing railway infrastructure was not capable of being properly used by high‐speed trains. A number of elements handicapped the site of the old station: curved platforms that were too narrow, an approach speed to the station that was too low, numerous track intersections and poor positioning of the Brussels‐Germany line, even though it carries the most traffic. In comparison with the old building, the route through the new station has been moved 150 m in order to meet two requirements: – to enable straight platforms which make it easier for trains to enter and leave the station and for passengers to embark and disembark; – to establish a harmonious link between the station and the nearby motorway network. This link with the motorway network is provided by a bridge and a viaduct, designed by Santiago Calatrava. This Hillside entrance to the station has the advantage of the availability of a car park with 600 parking spaces, immediately next to the platforms. The station now has nine tracks and five platforms 8 m wide, thus allowing people to move around more freely. Three of the platforms, 450 m long, can accommodate double‐unit HSR units.