Utrecht Centraal railway station
Encyclopedia
Utrecht Centraal is the central railway station for the city of Utrecht
in the Netherlands
. It is the largest railway station in the Netherlands in terms of size, with fourteen platforms (of which eleven are through tracks) With Utrecht being located centrally in the Netherlands, Utrecht Centraal is also the largest station in terms of passenger volume and the most important railway hub
of the Netherlands. With more than 900 trains leaving this station per day, it is also the biggest junction station
in the Netherlands. and disruptions to services through the station can easily affect the rest of the country's railway network.
International, national and local services call at the station, most notably the InterCityExpress
trains to Frankfurt
and Basel
, intercity
services to the northern and southern Netherlands, and local commuter services providing access to towns all over the Randstad
.
as the Maliebaanstation, on the other side of the city, was closed and the line from Hilversum
was diverted into the central station.
Until the 1970s the station building of 1865 remained in place, though a fundamental renovation took place in 1936. Two years later, a fire burned down most of the building, which was subsequently rebuilt. That station building of the late 1930s was in turn demolished in the 1970s to make way for Hoog Catharijne, then Europe's largest enclosed shopping mall
, which opened on 17 December 1973. Since that moment, the station hall no longer had a real entrance; the passageways of the shopping mall just continue into the station. In 1989, the station hall was enlarged to include an extra platform.
Between 2008 and 2013, the station will undergo a major reconstruction, partly under the flag of the general reconstruction of the Utrecht Station Area, and partly under the flag of the NS-project Wereldstations. Among others, the station hall will be replaced by a new glass structure, designed by architects Benthem Crouwel Architecten. Also, the sheltering roofs on the platforms will be restored. As regards external relations, the station will be separated once again from the Hoog Catharijne shopping area. The bus station, which is currently located on the east side of the station (i.e. on the side of the city centre) will be split in two, with buses and trams arriving from the west of the city (among others the new suburb of Leidsche Rijn
) terminating on the west side of the station to minimize traffic around the station.
A scale model of the new station is on display at Madurodam
.
Utrecht (city)
Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...
in 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...
. It is the largest railway station in the Netherlands in terms of size, with fourteen platforms (of which eleven are through tracks) With Utrecht being located centrally in the Netherlands, Utrecht Centraal is also the largest station in terms of passenger volume and the most important railway hub
Transportation hub
A transport hub is a place where passengers and cargo are exchanged between vehicles or between transport modes. Public transport hubs include train stations, rapid transit stations, bus stops, tram stop, airports and ferry slips. Freight hubs include classification yards, seaports and truck...
of the Netherlands. With more than 900 trains leaving this station per day, it is also the biggest junction station
Junction station
Junction station usually refers to a railway station situated or close to a junction where lines to several destinations diverge. The usual minimum is three incoming lines...
in the Netherlands. and disruptions to services through the station can easily affect the rest of the country's railway network.
International, national and local services call at the station, most notably the InterCityExpress
InterCityExpress
The Intercity-Express or ICE is a system of high-speed trains predominantly running in Germany and neighbouring countries. It is the highest service category offered by DB Fernverkehr and is the flagship of Deutsche Bahn...
trains to Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
and Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
, intercity
Inter-city rail
Inter-city rail services are express passenger train services that cover longer distances than commuter or regional trains.There is no precise definition of inter-city rail. Its meaning may vary from country to country...
services to the northern and southern Netherlands, and local commuter services providing access to towns all over the Randstad
Randstad
Image:Randstad_with_scale.png|400px|thumb|right|Clickable schematic map of the Randstadcircle 528 380 26 Schipholrect 426 356 498 436 Haarlemmermeerrect 399 166 479 245 Velsencircle 250 716 32 Delftcircle 220 642 60 The Hague...
.
History
The first station at the site was opened in 1843, when the Nederlandsche Rhijnspoorweg-Maatschappij opened the first station on Utrecht territory. In 1938, the station became the central stationUnion station
A union station is the term used for a train station where tracks and facilities are shared by two or more railway companies, allowing passengers to connect conveniently between them...
as the Maliebaanstation, on the other side of the city, was closed and the line from Hilversum
Hilversum
is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. Located in the region called "'t Gooi", it is the largest town in that area. It is surrounded by heathland, woods, meadows, lakes, and smaller villages...
was diverted into the central station.
Until the 1970s the station building of 1865 remained in place, though a fundamental renovation took place in 1936. Two years later, a fire burned down most of the building, which was subsequently rebuilt. That station building of the late 1930s was in turn demolished in the 1970s to make way for Hoog Catharijne, then Europe's largest enclosed shopping mall
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
, which opened on 17 December 1973. Since that moment, the station hall no longer had a real entrance; the passageways of the shopping mall just continue into the station. In 1989, the station hall was enlarged to include an extra platform.
Future expansion
Leidsche Rijn
Leidsche Rijn is a neighbourhood under construction west of Utrecht in the central Netherlands. The neighbourhood is expected to be completed in 2025 and will have approximately 80,000 inhabitants....
) terminating on the west side of the station to minimize traffic around the station.
A scale model of the new station is on display at Madurodam
Madurodam
Madurodam is a miniature city located in Scheveningen, The Hague, in the Netherlands. It is a model of a Dutch town on a 1:25 scale, composed of typical Dutch buildings and landmarks, as are found at various locations in the country. This major Dutch tourist attraction was built in 1952 and has...
.
Train services
The following train services call at Utrecht Centraal:- international:
- 1 daily Intercity-Express service Amsterdam - Utrecht - Arnhem - Cologne - Basel
- 6 daily Intercity-Express services Amsterdam - Utrecht - Arnhem - Cologne - Frankfurt
- 1 daily CityNightLine service Amsterdam - Utrecht - Arnhem - Cologne - Munich
- 1 daily CityNightLine service Amsterdam - Utrecht - Arnhem - Cologne - Berlin - Prague
- 1 daily EuroNight service Amsterdam - Utrecht - Arnhem - Cologne - Berlin - Warsaw
- 1 daily CityNightLine service Amsterdam - Utrecht - Arnhem - Cologne - Basel - Zurich
- 1 daily CityNightLine service Amsterdam - Utrecht - Arnhem - Cologne - Hamburg - Copenhagen
- national:
- 1x per hour intercity service The Hague/Rotterdam - Utrecht - Amersfoort - Zwolle - Groningen/Leeuwarden
- 2x per hour intercity service (Schagen) - Alkmaar - Amsterdam - Utrecht - Eindhoven - Maastricht/Heerlen
- 1x per hour night train (nachtnet) service Rotterdam - The Hague - Amsterdam - Utrecht
- 2x per hour intercity service The Hague/Rotterdam - Utrecht - Amersfoort - Almelo - Enschede
- 2x per hour intercity service The Hague - Utrecht
- 2x per hour intercity service Rotterdam - Utrecht - Amersfoort - (Deventer)
- 2x per hour intercity service Den Helder - Amsterdam - Utrecht - Nijmegen
- 2x per hour intercity service Schiphol - Utrecht - Nijmegen
- 2x per hour intercity service Schiphol - Utrecht - Eindhoven
- 2x per hour intercity service Utrecht - Hilversum - Almere
- 2x per hour intercity service Leiden - Alphen aan den Rijn - Utrecht
- 1x per hour night train (nachtnet) service Utrecht - 's-Hertogenbosch - Eindhoven (weekends only)
- 2x per hour local service (sprinter) Utrecht - Baarn
- 2x per hour local service (stoptrein) Utrecht - Amersfoort - Zwolle
- 2x per hour local service (stoptrein) Utrecht - Hilversum - Schiphol - Leiden
- 2x per hour local service (stoptrein) Utrecht - Geldermalsen - Tiel
- 2x per hour local service (sprinter) Breukelen - Utrecht - Rhenen
- 2x per hour local service (sprinter) The Hague - Gouda - Utrecht
- 2x per hour local service (sprinter) Utrecht - Geldermalsen - 's-Hertogenbosch
- 2x per hour local service (sprinter) Amsterdam - Breukelen - Utrecht - Veenendaal Centrum
- 1x per hour local service (stoptrein) Utrecht - Utrecht Maliebaan