ProRail has completed most of the infrastructure modernization work at The Hague Central Station, and as of today, February 16, trains from The Hague to Rotterdam and vice versa are running according to the regular schedule again, following the completion of work on the last part of the lines at the station.
Thanks to the infrastructure work, traffic disruptions have been reduced and capacity has been increased, with The Hague Central Station now serving more trains.
ProRail has been working since August 2023 on a new layout for the station’s twelve tracks, and by removing some switches and slightly moving the tracks, it has managed to create three corridors for three directions. This means that trains to Rotterdam, Gouda/Utrecht, and Leiden now arrive at fixed platforms.
As there are fewer switches, there will be fewer disruptions and trains will be able to enter and leave the station more quickly and smoothly. In addition, this creates space for more trains.
Reconstruction of all lines at The Hague Central Station
The entire reconstruction of the lines is being carried out in phases so that passengers and the environment are affected as little as possible. It should be noted that in the last 18 days, ProRail, together with the construction company BAM, has managed to bring all the infrastructure elements together, connecting 8 of the 12 lines. “For 18 days, we worked day and night to completely rebuild and reconnect two corridors. After 11 days, we were able to reopen lines 5 to 8 for train traffic. And now, after another week, we were able to reopen lines 1 to 4 as planned. The work was strictly planned and well prepared. You can only achieve this if the team works together perfectly and manages to find solutions together for the problems that arise along the way,” said Project Manager Michel Marijnissen.
Because trains can enter and leave the station faster, there is extra space in the timetable. National operator NS now has the option of having all trains stop at Schiedam Centrum station every ten minutes. This means that the Rotterdam Centraal – Leiden Centraal – Schiphol Airport – Utrecht Centraal – Arnhem Centraal intercity train will also stop at Schiedam Centrum. NS could implement this change as early as the spring of the 2026 timetable.
The reconfiguration of the lines at The Hague Central Station comprises 12 lines, of which lines 11 and 12 are not in operation.
The project includes the reconstruction of the lines between the station and the Schenk viaduct, over a length of 900 meters, and with a large number of switches being removed, lines 11 and 12 are to be put back into operation. ProRail will complete the entire project by the middle of this year.
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