The challenge
Amsterdam’s central train station is set to reach its capacity limits with a substantial increase in daily tourists and commuters traveling from the Dutch capital.
Amsterdam’s central train station is set to reach its capacity limits with a substantial increase in daily tourists and commuters traveling from the Dutch capital.
Central Station is undergoing an extensive renovation that will allow for increased passenger traffic while causing minimal disruption to travel.
The renovation will improve traveler safety and travel time while accommodating more passengers.
In the coming years, Amsterdam expects to see a considerable increase in the number of tourists and commuters passing through the city. This growing stream of passengers must be able to travel safely to and from the Dutch capital, but Centraal Station will soon reach the limit of its capacity.
In order to cope with growth in passenger numbers, Centraal Station is undergoing an extensive program of renovation work, including widening the platforms and increasing the capacity of escalators. The Eastern Tunnel will also be widened considerably. These measures will enable more passengers to wait on the platforms, speed up the process of boarding and alighting, and enable passengers to make their way down to the first floor faster. To make room for the wider platforms, the middle tracks will be removed.
Adapting Amsterdam Centraal Station is a complicated and time-consuming task. Not only do all the changes have to match this historic environment, but the station needs to remain open throughout the work, with minimal disruption to passengers.
For this to happen, a careful plan is crucial. As part of a framework contract with ProRail, Arcadis is providing all of the engineering services for this unique project. In cooperation with architects Zwarts en Jansma, we are taking care of everything from the technical design and installation sketches to contracting and tendering. Based on archive drawings and 3D scans, we created a BIM model to use as the basis for the new design. The model enables us to see exactly how all objects—including stairs and escalators, the new platforms and the passenger tunnels—will fit in the building. In some areas, the available space is tight, and it would not be possible to work with the same degree of precision without BIM modeling and 3D scans.
On completion of the renovation work, the capacity of the Centraal Station in Amsterdam will be significantly higher, enabling the station to process 40% more passengers and 25 more trains per hour. In addition, safety at the platforms will be improved, there will be more space for passengers to wait, and boarding and alighting will be faster. With all of these adjustments, Amsterdam's Centraal Station is fit for the future.