Eijsden railway station
Encyclopedia
Eijsden railway station (Edn) is the now disused railway station of Eijsden
, Limburg
, the Netherlands
. The station, which was the southernmost railway station in the Netherlands, opened on November 24, 1861, and closed on December 10, 2006.
The railway station was located on the railway line
between Liège-Guillemins (Belgium
) and Maastricht
(Netherlands). In the final years of its existence, only trains of the National Railway Company of Belgium between the two stations halted in Eijsden; Nederlandse Spoorwegen
trains no longer used the station.
When the National Railway Company of Belgium extended the InterCity
line between Brussels-South and Liège-Guillemins to Maastricht, the regular local service between Liège-Guillemins and Maastricht was halted. The InterCity trains were too long to halt in Eijsden, so the railway station was closed. A new busline was opened between Maastricht and the railway station in Visé
(Belgium) to serve Eijsden.
After the closure of the railway station, citizens of Eijsden formed the committee "Trein Terug In Eijsden" (Return the Train To Eijsden), which aims to reopen the railway station. A problem with this is the fact that the overhead lines
at the railway station carry 3kV
direct current
, like the Belgian railway network, whereas the Dutch railway network carries 1.5kV. This makes it impossible for Dutch electric trains to reach Eijsden, unless they are multi-system units.
Eijsden
Eijsden is a place situated in the southern part of the Dutch province of Limburg. Until January 1st, 2011 it was the main village in a municipality with the same name. On that date this municipality merged with a neighbouring one, which resulted in the new Eijsden-Margraten municipality.Eijsden...
, Limburg
Limburg (Netherlands)
Limburg is the southernmost of the twelve provinces of the Netherlands. It is located in the southeastern part of the country and bordered by the province of Gelderland to the north, Germany to the east, Belgium to the south and part of the west, andthe Dutch province of North Brabant partly to...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. The station, which was the southernmost railway station in the Netherlands, opened on November 24, 1861, and closed on December 10, 2006.
The railway station was located on the railway line
Liège–Maastricht railway
The Liège–Maastricht railway is a railway line running from Liège in Belgium to Maastricht in the Netherlands. The line was opened in 1861.-Stations:...
between Liège-Guillemins (Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
) and Maastricht
Maastricht railway station
-History:The station was opened on 23 October 1853 and is located on the Maastricht–Venlo railway, the Maastricht–Aachen railway and the Liège–Maastricht railway...
(Netherlands). In the final years of its existence, only trains of the National Railway Company of Belgium between the two stations halted in Eijsden; Nederlandse Spoorwegen
Nederlandse Spoorwegen
Nederlandse Spoorwegen , or NS, is the principal passenger railway operator in the Netherlands.Its trains operate over the tracks of the Dutch national railinfrastructure, operated by ProRail, which was split off from NS in 2003...
trains no longer used the station.
When the National Railway Company of Belgium extended the InterCity
InterCity
InterCity is the classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe...
line between Brussels-South and Liège-Guillemins to Maastricht, the regular local service between Liège-Guillemins and Maastricht was halted. The InterCity trains were too long to halt in Eijsden, so the railway station was closed. A new busline was opened between Maastricht and the railway station in Visé
Visé
Visé is a Walloon municipality and city of Belgium, where it is located on the river Meuse, in the province of Liège.The municipality consists of the former municipalities of Visé, Lanaye, Lixhe, Richelle, Argenteau and Cheratte....
(Belgium) to serve Eijsden.
After the closure of the railway station, citizens of Eijsden formed the committee "Trein Terug In Eijsden" (Return the Train To Eijsden), which aims to reopen the railway station. A problem with this is the fact that the overhead lines
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
at the railway station carry 3kV
Volt
The volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential, electric potential difference, and electromotive force. The volt is named in honor of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta , who invented the voltaic pile, possibly the first chemical battery.- Definition :A single volt is defined as the...
direct current
Direct current
Direct current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through...
, like the Belgian railway network, whereas the Dutch railway network carries 1.5kV. This makes it impossible for Dutch electric trains to reach Eijsden, unless they are multi-system units.