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Railways through Europe |
maps and interoperabilty |
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Quévy (Belgium - France)
Quévy at the border Belgium - France is the only switchable Belgian station.
The 90-year-old station building at Quévy, at the end of SNCB Line
96 about 75 km south of Brussels, may seem surprisingly large to anybody who
is aware only of its current role as the terminus of an hourly passenger
service on weekdays. But of course it originally housed all the officials
concerned with cross-border traffic on the former main line to Paris, then
operated by the Nord-Belge railway and the French Chemin de Fer du Nord, as
well as some of those companies' staff.
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| thanks to André Sintzoff and Alan Reekie |
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By 1963, however, when the French electrification at 25 kV 50 Hz reached the
end of the Belgian electrification at 3 kV DC at Quévy, the line had become
an integral part of Belgian Railways network (SNCB/NMBS) and these
officials' duties were performed aboard the express trains that no longer
needed to stop there. Indeed, since the end of 1992 such routine border
formalities have been abolished under the Schengen agreement. |
Since 1994, when TGVs running via the new high-speed line replaced the day
trains hauled by multi-voltage locos between Brussels and Paris, only a
couple of passenger trains are still scheduled to cross the border at
Quévy - in the middle of the night. But much of the substantial rail freight
traffic between Belgium and France still takes this route 24 hours/day. The
motive power of almost all these trains was routinely changed at Quévy until
the end of 2002, but both the SNCB and SNCB have a growing number of new
dual-voltage locos suitable for through operation and staff training on
thems has already begun. So the following summary description of the
facilities and procedures for performing the transition between the two
power supply systems has been prepared. It is based on local observations
and is coherent, but should not be relied on as official sources of
information have not been consulted. |
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The twin-track 'main line' along which trains having motive power equipped
for operation with both 3kV DC and 25 kV 50 Hz run non-stop with pantographs
down, where the change-over switching is performed by the driver alone, lies
between the groups of tracks intended for use when the loco has to be
replaced here. Those beside the station building were formerly used by
passenger trains, while the others were reserved for freight trains. |
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specially-adapted points motors |
In both cases, the overhead line equipment (OHLE) can be supplied at either
voltage as required,under the control of the local signal box (Block 33,
located near the centre of platform 1).
The OHLE can also be isolated when
required, notably so that non-electric motive power (eg diesel locos), can
be signalled to run on routes disregarding the transition. The switchgear is
actuated by specially-adapted points motors (G3, yellow and G25, blue),
located on the southern end of platform 1.
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As can be seen from the sketch-map of the track layout, each section of
track with switchable OHLE terminates at points which can be set to give
access to/from either the 'main line' with power at one voltage or a short
stub with power at the other voltage. Operation of each set of points, the
associated signal displays and the power supply to the switchable OHLE are
all interlocked with the track circuits, so that in particular it is
impossible to set any route that would allow an electric loco to run onto a
section with an unsuitable power supply. |
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| NZ 236 (Paris - Hamburg) in Quévy; pictures by Andreas Roeschies |
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In practice, thus, when a train hauled by an electric locomotive appoaches,
the signal admitting it into the track with switchable OHLE can be cleared
only when the route through to the following stub track has been set, and
the appropriate power supply connected. The loco then runs through until it
comes to a halt just short of the 'starter' signal. As soon as the loco has
been detached from the train, it runs forward into the 'stub' track. The
short track circuit between the front of the train and the 'starter' signal
then detects that this section is clear, which allows the points and power
supply to be changed-over so that the replacement loco (which has been
waiting nearby on the main line) can safely run back ready for coupling-up
to the train. Once this has been done, the starter signal can be cleared to
allow the train to continue its journey along the main line. And when the
track circuit detects it has indeed departed, the OHLE power supply and
points can be changed back to allow the loco waiting in the stub track to
run back onto the appropriate main line (either directly or after passing
through the switchable section again).
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| text by Alan Reekie |
SNCB DMU 4101 in Quévy
thanks to Michel Marin |
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SNCF's type 36 3-voltage loco
on 'main line' under 25 kV
thanks to Alan Reekie |
The operation of the railway station at Quévy and local NMBS/SNCB railway personnel are
about to undergo some important changes.
As of 15. June 2003 the change of locomotive on cross border freight trains will take
place at either Aulnoye or Mons, and not at Quévy. Trains will be worked by SNCF class
36000, which are already active between France and Zeebrugge/Schaarbeek, and SNCF class
67400 diesel locomotives.
By closing down the freight yard and the activities at Quévy, NMBS/SNCB will be able to
reduce costs by removing this inefficient operation. Staff will be reallocating to other
sites in the area. Another benefit is that the freight trains themselves will become more
efficient, as the motive power switch will be done at better locations, more suited to
traffic flows and operational needs.
As a direct result of these changes, the equipment, which enables the overhead wire to
be switched, will be removed. Instead an automatic system will be installed to enable
the BB 36000's to change pantographs and voltages automatically.
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| with kind permission from International railway circle |
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page last updated: 29. March 2004 |
©1998-2016 Thorsten Büker |
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