Delft railway station

Delft is the main railway station of the city of Delft, South Holland, Netherlands. It is located on the oldest railway line in the country, between the stations of The Hague Central and Rotterdam Central. Along with a new 2.3 km rail tunnel under the city centre, the current station opened on 28 February 2015. The new building, which integrates the station hall with the city's municipal offices, was designed by Mecanoo, an international architecture firm that originated in Delft. The project also included a rebuilt bus station, tram stops and improved bicycle parking.

1885 building

The initial Delft railway station was located on the Houttuinen, close to the current building. The first train passed through it on 31 May 1847, and three days later the station opened to the public. Because of increasing numbers of passengers and goods transported, a new, larger railway station had to be opened in 1885, just to the south of the original station. Christiaan Posthumus Meyjes, Sr. designed the latter building.  This building was used until 2015 when the current building opened. The station building is historically significant, and will be re-purposed with a commercial hospitality function.

Railway zone project

From 1964, the railway through Delft ran on a double track viaduct, created to eliminate level crossings, intending to improve the safety and fluidity of traffic through the city. However, the rail viaduct became unpopular for being visually unattractive, and because the line through Delft is very busy, meaning between 300 and 350 trains passing daily caused major noise pollution. Therefore, a large urban design project was formulated in 1999, designed by Spanish urban planner Joan Busquets, which will see the rail viaduct replaced by two tunnels.

The first phase of this has been completed in February 2015, and sees a first tunnel tube with two rail tracks in operation. In 2015 the decommissioned viaduct was torn down, and a second tunnel tube with two more rail tracks will be constructed underneath the path previously occupied by it. Redevelopment of the freed up space above ground, has not yet been fully planned.

Gallery

References

External links

NS website 
Dutch Public Transport journey planner 

Category:Railway stations in South Holland
Category:Railway stations opened in 1847
Category:Railway stations on the Oude Lijn
Category:Railway tunnels in the Netherlands
Category:Buildings and structures in Delft
Category:1847 establishments in the Netherlands
Category:Railway stations located underground