The future of train traffic in The Hague Central Station is undergoing a major redesign.
ProRail announces that it is reviving a long-dormant project. Restoring tracks 11 and 12 at the fourth largest train station in the Netherlands, The Hague Central Station. These tracks have been out of use for more than five years. They previously served as part of RandstadRail's Metro Line E, but are now being converted to accommodate the expected growth in train traffic.
The larger plan, Conversion of The Hague Central Station, aims to make train traffic more efficient and reliable. By renewing the tracks, the station can better cope with future traffic. Although The Hague Central Station currently has sufficient capacity with its ten tracks to meet the current timetable, an increase in demand is expected.
dust nuisance
One of the challenges of the project is limiting dust nuisance for travelers and local residents. ProRail takes several measures to prevent this, such as wetting the ballast stones that are being moved. In an extra layer of care, ProRail is also installing a wooden fence in the station to shield the work and a temporary storage space is being used outside the station behind a high concrete facade at the RET site on Hendrick Hamelstraat.
In the field of health and safety, ProRail is introducing another novelty: the new ballast stones are quartzless. This is to protect railway workers against the risks of long-term and intensive exposure to dust from quartz-containing ballast stones, which can cause serious health problems.
From the beginning of November, work will begin on replacing the old tracks, sleepers and ballast stones. ProRail encourages travelers and local residents to contact us if there is any inconvenience caused by the work.
Driven by a strong increase in both passenger and freight transport by rail, ProRail will transform The Hague Central Station into a futuristic traffic junction on behalf of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. With the growing need for transport in the Randstad, it is necessary to make maximum use of the existing track. In line with this, the project will significantly expand train traffic to surrounding cities such as Rotterdam and Leiden from 2025.
The Hague Central serves as an intersection where train lines from Leiden, Gouda and Rotterdam converge. It is a terminal station with a total of 12 platform tracks, of which tracks 11 and 12 are currently not in use. The ambitious redesign project, which extends over a length of 900 meters from the station to the Schenk viaduct, will remove a large number of switches and put the dormant tracks 11 and 12 back into use.
accessibility
But it doesn't stop at simply adding more tracks. In a smart move to increase accessibility, the floor height of the (new) trains will be adjusted to fit seamlessly with the platforms. This makes it much easier to get in and out, and allows people who rely on wheelchairs or strollers to travel independently. The project even extends to Laan van NOI station, where infrastructure adjustments are also being implemented.
With this comprehensive approach, ProRail strives not only to meet current transport needs, but also to keep The Hague and other cities in the Randstad sustainably accessible in the future. By expanding and improving the existing infrastructure, bottlenecks are avoided and the service can become more flexible and reliable, a win-win situation for both the carrier and the traveler.
