Delft railway station

Geschiedenis

Delft is the main railway station of Delft, the Netherlands, located on a section of the oldest railway line in the country, between the cities of The Hague and Rotterdam. 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.Previous stationsThe 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. The latter building was designed by Christiaan Posthumus Meyjes sr..The old station building is historically significant, and will be re-purposed with a commercial hospitality function.Railway zone project in DelftFrom 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.