Utrecht Centraal railway station

Infobox NS-station
station=Utrecht Centraal


onderschrift=Stationshal van Utrecht Centraal
stationscode=Ut
opened=1843
closed=
reopened=
platforms=14
latdeg=52 |latmin=5 |latsec=21 |londeg=5 |lonmin=6 |lonsec=35
positiekaartnaam=Randstad NO

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 passenger tracks (of which eleven are through tracks) on seven platforms. 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.

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.

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 station as the line from Hilversum and the "Maliebaanstation", on the other side of the city, was closed.

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 December 17, 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

Between 2008 and 2013, the station will undergo a major reconstruction, partly under the flag of the general reconstruction of the Utrecht Station Area [ [http://www.utrecht.nl/smartsite.dws?id=70880 Utrecht.nl - Station area Utrecht ] ] , 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. [Artist's impressions can be viewed at http://www.utrecht.nl/smartsite.dws?id=70942.] 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. [ [http://www.prorail.nl/ProRail/Bedrijfsinformatie/Nieuws/Feestelijke+opening+Utrecht+Centraal+in+Madurodam.htm ProRail: Feestelijke opening Utrecht Centraal in Madurodam ] ]

Train Services

The following train services call at Utrecht Centraal:

International Services

National Services

References