Utrecht C (Central railway station)

The Cantral railway station is one of the largest and busiest trainstations in the Netherlands. It is THE central railway hub, serving 5 milion passengers a year (2006) and expected to serve more than 100 milion passangers in 20 years. It has 19 tracks serving 7 platforms (after the econstruction 8) and there are about 1400 arriving and departing trains each day.

The first station on this spot was opened in 1843 but already in 1856 the station was already too small.  In 1856 and 1865 it is enlarged.  Two platforms were added which brought the total number of tracks to 5. In this period the station served trains of the Dutch Rhine Railways (NRS). The stat railways (SS) had their own station a few hundreds of metres south. The Dutch iron Railways HISM) built its own station at the east side of town, a very luxury station which still exists now as the Dutch Railway museum.In 1903 the "Buurtstation" Local station was added to serve the areas NE of Utrecht like Baarn, Hilversum, Den Dolder. Until 1970 this part remained to be a seperate station.  So Utrecht station was in fact a combination of three stations served by three different railway companies.

This situation changed dramaticly when all dutch railway companies were merged and the Dutch Railways (NS) was formed. The NRS station was declared to be the main station Utrecht CS. The plaforms of the BuurtStation were extended to the north facade of the - again enlarged main building. The main building was enlarged again with a glass facade, hover caught fire short after completion. After the reconstruction of this building, it served it's perpose until the large reconstruction works in the 1960's. The station now had some 9 tracks through combining the capacity of the Buurtstation and the old NRS station.

In the 1960's the station was reconstructed in a dramatic way. All stationbuildings were demolished to make place for a giand shopping centre called Hoog Catherijne (in that time Europe's biggest indoor shopping cenrte). Although a huge commercial succes, many Utrecht citisans critisized this reconstruction to be megaloman and without any taste.In that time another platform was added, followed by two other ones in 1986 and 1996. Between 1987 and 1989 the station hall was enlarged to a foridable space whith the roof inspired by the 1890 platform vaults.

In 2008 the station will be again reconstructed to a large Public transport (OV) terminal together with a complete reconstruction of the area.

Utrecht CS, 2003