Utrecht Centraal railway station

Light-rail (sneltram) service at Utrecht Centraal began in 1983 with the opening of the SUNIJ line (sneltram Utrecht-Nieuwegein/IJsselstein).[9] Its tram stop (named Utrecht Centraal) was originally located on the east side of the station. In 2009, when the nearby Moreelsepark tram terminal was closed, the Centraal stop was adapted to be the new terminal for the shortened SUNIJ line. At this time, the Centraal stop was given a minor makeover including provision for the OV-chipkaart and travel information displays.[10]

In 2013, to accommodate construction work at the railway station, the SUNIJ line was further shortened. The Centraal stop on the east side of the station was closed and replaced by a stop at Jaarbeursplein on the west side of the railway station, becoming the temporary terminal of the SUNIJ line.[11] The temporary Jaarbeursplein terminal had 3 tracks.[12]

In July 2016, the bus terminal on the east side of the station was also relocated to the west side ('Jaarbeurszijde'). This move made space available on the east side of the station for the construction of a new Centrumzijde (downtown side) bus and tram terminal as well as the construction of a new tram line (Uithoflijn), a new station square (Stationsplein), a bicycle storage facility and the Moreelse bridge.[13]

On 9 December 2019, the Centrumzijde bus and tram terminal opened at Utrecht Centraal. It is located under the main hall on the east side of the railway station, and riders can access it directly from the main hall.[14] On 16 December 2019, the Uithof line (Uithoflijn, tram route 22) started operation running from Centrumzijde to P+R Science Centre in the Uithof district.[15] Passengers who wanted to transfer between the SUNIJ and Uithof lines had to walk 500 metres (1,600 ft) between the Jaarbeursplein and Centrumzide stops.[16] There was a track between the two stops, but it was used only for Uithof trams returning to the depot without passengers. The platform heights for the SUNIJ and Uithof lines were incompatible.[17]

On 4 July 2020, the SUNIJ line was shut down for renovation including rebuilding the Jaarbeursplein stop. The stop was converted from a terminal for high-floor trams to a through-station for longer, low-floor trams. The old platforms were demolished, and the stub siding was eliminated. New side platforms were built along the through-tracks. Electrical overhead wires and track switches were also replaced.[18] On 3 January 2021, the Jaarbeursplein tram stop reopened with low-level platforms.[19]

On 2 July 2022, through-passenger service started between the Jaarbeursplein and Centrumzijde stops, thus eliminating the 500-metre walking transfer between the two stops at Utrecht Centraal. Trams would travel via the station between Nieuwegein and IJsselstein on the SUNIJ line and the Uithof district on the Uithof line (Uithoflijn).[16]

• 
  Centraal: Former tram stop on east side of station (closed 2013)
• 
  Centraal: Former tram stop on east side of station (closed 2013)
• 
  Centrumzijde: Underground tram stop on east side of station (opened 2019)

The Ministry of Infrastructure described the reasons for the project as follows:[24]

• Insufficient capacity for the desired intensities of passenger and freight trains. This concerns railway infrastructure capacity as well as transfer capacity.
• Insufficient quality of the railway service. The punctuality of the passenger service in Utrecht is structurally lower than in the rest of the country.
• Insufficient robustness of the infrastructure. The layout is complex, vulnerable to failure and expensive due to the large number of switches and crossing movements.

• Limited extension of the infrastructure as far as possible within the available space: one extra platform with two tracks. Other platforms were modified based on the larger passenger numbers.
• Better use and optimisation of the existing infrastructure: separating train traffic flows form each other, with a fixed platform allocation per corridor, less switches, higher speeds and shorter headways.

• Increased capacity, allowing more trains and more transfers.
• Shorter travel times. The speed for freight and passenger trains is increased from 40 km/h to 80 km/h.
• Higher reliability
  • Less failures due to a reduction in switches, less crossing movements and a simplified traffic control.
  • In case a disruption does happen, its effect will be limited to one corridor.
  • More buffers to deal with the consequences of disruptions within the corridor.

The idea for the new track layout was based on the layout of Shinagawa station in Tokyo. Based on Shinagawa and other Japanese examples,[25] a new design philosophy for track layout was developed within ProRail. It contains the following hierarchy:

1. The main traffic flows are physically separated from each other (as far as possible within the given space) and have their own dedicated tracks.
2. The layout of these tracks is optimized for speed and headways, this is the main function of the stations.
3. Additional switches are added for reaching the depots. In the case of Utrecht, there are three depots and each platform track has access to at least one depot.
4. As a last step, switches are added where necessary to enable traffic management in case of disruptions. These switches have to fulfill a number of conditions:
   • The switches for disruption management cannot compromise the main function.
   • Switches are only added for a fixed number of disruption scenarios (alternative platform track, complete or partial blockage of a line).
   • For each switch, a cost benefit analysis is made (including financial and operational aspects, such as delay minutes). Only switches with a positive result are included in the final design.

The new layout has around 60 switches (compared to around 200 for the old layout) and results in a doubling of capacity.

This capacity growth is due to the separating of the flows, the shorter headways and the extra platform. A part of this capacity growth is used for the implementation of the PHS High Frequency Programme, in which the basic frequency of several corridors is increased from 4 to 6 trains per hour. The station has capacity for a basic frequency of 8 trains per hour on all corridors, which makes it future proof for the foreseen growth up to 2040.[26]

• 2x per hour Utrecht – Hilversum – Almere (4900)
• 2x per hour Utrecht – Hilversum – Weesp – Schiphol – Hoofddorp (5700)
• 2x per hour Utrecht – Den Dolder – Baarn (5500)
• 2x per hour Utrecht – Den Dolder – Amersfoort – Zwolle (5600)
• 1x per hour Utrecht – Utrecht Maliebaan (28300, Railway museum)

• 1 daily Intercity-Express Amsterdam – Utrecht – Cologne – Frankfurt Airport – Basel
• 6 daily Intercity-Express Amsterdam – Utrecht – Cologne – Frankfurt Airport – Frankfurt am Main
• 1 daily NightJet Amsterdam – Utrecht – Zurich
• 1 daily NightJet Amsterdam – Utrecht – Vienna / Innsbruck
• 2x per hour (Schagen -) Alkmaar – Amsterdam – Utrecht – Eindhoven – Maastricht (800), cross-platform connection with:
• 2x per hour Schiphol – Utrecht – Arnhem – Nijmegen (3100)
• 2x per hour Den Helder – Amsterdam – Utrecht – Arnhem – Nijmegen (3000), cross-platform connection with:
• 2x per hour Schiphol – Utrecht – Eindhoven – Venlo (3500)
• 2x per hour Enkhuizen – Amsterdam – Utrecht – Eindhoven – Heerlen (3900), cross-platform connection with:
• 2x per hour Rotterdam – Schiphol – Utrecht – Arnhem (3200)

• 1x per hour Rotterdam – Utrecht – Amersfoort – Zwolle – Leeuwarden (600)
• 1x per hour Rotterdam – Utrecht – Amersfoort – Zwolle – Groningen (500)
• 1x per hour The Hague – Utrecht – Amersfoort – Hengelo – Enschede (1700)
• 1x per hour The Hague – Utrecht – Amersfoort – Amersfoort Schothorst (11700)
• 2x per hour The Hague – Utrecht – Amersfoort (– Deventer, peak hours only) (2000)
• 2x per hour Rotterdam – Utrecht (2800)

• 2x per hour Breukelen – Utrecht – Driebergen-Zeist (– Veenendaal Centrum, peak hours only) (7300)
• 2x per hour Uitgeest – Amsterdam – Breukelen – Utrecht – Veenendaal Centrum – Rhenen (7400)
• 1x per hour Night Intercity (Nachtnet) Rotterdam – The Hague – Amsterdam – Utrecht (1400)

• 2x per hour The Hague – Woerden – Utrecht – Geldermalsen – Tiel (6900)
• 2x per hour Leiden – Woerden – Utrecht – Geldermalsen – 's-Hertogenbosch (non-stop between Woerden and Utrecht) (8800)
• 2x per hour (Leiden, peak hours only –) Woerden – Utrecht (– Houten Castellum, peak hours only) (8900)

The train services are scheduled in such a way, that there is a basic frequency of an Intercity and a Sprinter every 15 minutes in every direction from Utrecht Centraal. The Intercity trains on the routes Amsterdam – Utrecht, Schiphol – Utrecht, Utrecht – Arnhem and Utrecht – Eindhoven run every 10 minutes.

Some services run only during the peak hour, but on most lines the basic frequency is offered all day. On Sunday mornings and late evenings some services do not run, but even during those times, there is always an Intercity and a Sprinter at least every 30 minutes in every direction.

• 2 Centraal Station – City Centre – Museumkwartier – Centraal Station (circular, one direction)
• 3 Centraal Station – Overvecht – Zuilen – Centraal Station (circular, both directions)
• 16 Leidsche Rijn – Lombok – Centraal Station – Vredenburg
• 18 De Meern Oost > Langerak > Centraal Station > Rijnsweerd (peak hour only)
• 28 Vleuten – Vleuterweide – De Meern – Centraal Station – Wittevrouwen – Rijnsweerd – Science Park (U-Link)

• 1 Hoograven – Rivierenwijk – Centraal Station – Overvecht Noord
• 4 Voordorp – Tuindorp – Centraal Station – Langerak – Terwijde
• 5 Centraal Station – Oog in Al – Terwijde – Maarssen
• 6 Galgenwaard – Sterrenwijk – Centraal Station – Overvecht Zuid
• 7 Zuilen – Ondiep – Centraal Station – Kanaleneiland Zuid
• 8 Lunetten – Tolsteeg – Centraal Station – Wilhelminapark
• 12 Centraal Station – Zuilen – Maarssen
• 18 Rijnsweerd > Centraal Station > Langerak > De Meern Oost (peak hour only)
• 24 Centraal Station – Papendorp – Oudenrijn (peak hour only)
• 38 Centraal Station – Lage Weide – Maarssen
• 41 Utrecht Centraal – Bunnik – Wijk bij Duurstede (U-Link)
• 47 Utrecht Centraal – Hoograven – Houten
• 50 Utrecht Centraal – Zeist – Doorn – Veenendaal / Wageningen (U-Link)
• 55 Utrecht Centraal – Tuindorp-Oost – Maartensdijk
• 63 Utrecht Centraal – Vianen
• 65 Utrecht Centraal – Plettenburg – Vianen
• 73 Zeist-Centrum – Utrecht Centraal – Leidsche Rijn – Maarssen (U-Link)
• 74 Driebergen-Zeist – Zeist West – Utrecht Centraal – Jutphaas – Vianen
• 77 Nieuwegein-Centrum – Galecop – Utrecht Centraal -De Bilt – Bilthoven Station (U-Link)
• 81 Utrecht Centraal – Meerkerk
• 85 Utrecht Centraal – Schoonrewoerd – Leerdam
• 90 Utrecht Centraal – Papendorp – Gelkenes Industrieterrein
• 94 Utrecht Centraal – Papendorp – Ameide
• 102 Utrecht Centraal – Woerden
• 107 Utrecht Centraal – Gouda
• 120 Utrecht Centraal – Breukelen – Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA
• 195 Utrecht Centraal – Rotterdam Capelsebrug (peak hour only)
• 241 Utrecht Centraal – Wijk bij Duurstede (via A12, peak hour only)
• 247 Utrecht Centraal – Kanaleneiland – Houten (peak hour only)
• 285 Utrecht Centraal – Papendorp – Leerdam (peak hour only)
• 295 Utrecht Centraal – Rotterdam Capelsebrug
• 387 Utrecht Centraal – Gorinchem
• 388 Utrecht Centraal – Sliedrecht – Rotterdam Kralingse Zoom
• 400 Utrecht Centraal – Vianen – Sleeuwijk Tol – Raamsdonksveer – Oosterhout (Brabantliner)
• 401 Utrecht Centraal – Vianen – Sleeuwijk Tol – Hank – Breda (Brabantliner)

International bus services (Flixbus, Ecolines) call at a separate bus stop near the station.