Leiden Centraal railway station
Encyclopedia
Leiden Centraal is the main railway station in Leiden, a city in the Netherlands
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(Dutch: Oude Lijn) from Haarlem. The original building was replaced by a new one, designed by D.A.N. Margadant, in 1879. This station was later razed and replaced by a third station designed by HGJ Schelling. Due to its post-war design, which was also implemented at other Dutch railway stations, Leiden Centraal became synonymous with the word "ugly." Increasing numbers of passengers also caused the building to become overcrowded. Eventually, it was demolished.
The fourth, and current, station was designed by Harry Reijnders and completed in 1996. Consisting of a white lattice structure, a curved, shell-like entrance leads into a ticketing hall lined with shops and restaurants. When first built, the floor had a bright blue and white finish. Problems with passengers slipping required that the floor be replaced with standard tiling.
, which created a nation-wide smart card fare system. To implement the OV-chipkaart, ticket barriers were installed, separating the station into a paid and unpaid area. The platforms and several shops comprise the paid area, while the rest of the station (including ticket machines, waiting area, and other shops) is classified as unpaid. The barriers are still open, as the new ticket system is still optional.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
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History
Leiden Centraal station opened on 17 August 1842 as the southern terminal of the first expansion of the Old LineHollandsche IJzeren Spoorweg-Maatschappij
The Hollandsche IJzeren Spoorweg-Maatschappij or HSM was the first railway company in the Netherlands founded on 8 August 1837 as a private company, starting operation in 1839 with a line between Amsterdam and Haarlem...
(Dutch: Oude Lijn) from Haarlem. The original building was replaced by a new one, designed by D.A.N. Margadant, in 1879. This station was later razed and replaced by a third station designed by HGJ Schelling. Due to its post-war design, which was also implemented at other Dutch railway stations, Leiden Centraal became synonymous with the word "ugly." Increasing numbers of passengers also caused the building to become overcrowded. Eventually, it was demolished.
The fourth, and current, station was designed by Harry Reijnders and completed in 1996. Consisting of a white lattice structure, a curved, shell-like entrance leads into a ticketing hall lined with shops and restaurants. When first built, the floor had a bright blue and white finish. Problems with passengers slipping required that the floor be replaced with standard tiling.
Smart card era
In 2007, Leiden Centraal was renovated in accordance with the introduction of the OV-chipkaartOV-chipkaart
The OV-chipkaart is a contactless smart card system which is in the process of being introduced on all public transport in the Netherlands, including train, metro, tram and bus...
, which created a nation-wide smart card fare system. To implement the OV-chipkaart, ticket barriers were installed, separating the station into a paid and unpaid area. The platforms and several shops comprise the paid area, while the rest of the station (including ticket machines, waiting area, and other shops) is classified as unpaid. The barriers are still open, as the new ticket system is still optional.
Train services
The following services call at Leiden Centraal:- 1x per hour night train (nachtnet) service Rotterdam - The Hague - Amsterdam - Utrecht
- 2x per hour intercity service Amsterdam - Rotterdam - Roosendaal - Vlissingen
- 2x per hour intercity service Leiden - Alphen aan den Rijn - Utrecht
- 2x per hour express service (sneltrein) Amsterdam - Rotterdam - Breda
- 2x per hour express service (sneltrein) Amsterdam - Schiphol - The Hague
- 2x per hour express service (sneltrein) Hoorn - Alkmaar - Haarlem - The Hague
- 2x per hour local service (stoptrein) Leiden - The Hague - Rotterdam - Dordrecht
- 2x per hour local service (stoptrein) Utrecht - Hilversum - Schiphol - Leiden
- 2x per hour local service (stoptrein) The Hague - Leiden - Haarlem
- 2x per hour local service (stoptrein) Leiden - Alphen aan den Rijn - Gouda