Amsterdam–Haarlem–Rotterdam railway

The railway from Amsterdam through Haarlem to Rotterdam (also: Oude Lijn, Dutch for "old line") runs from Amsterdam Centraal to Rotterdam Centraal through Haarlem (and The Hague).

Amsterdam–Haarlem–Rotterdam railway
Oude Lijn
Overview
StatusOperational
LocaleNetherlands
Termini
Service
Operator(s)Nederlandse Spoorwegen
History
Opened1839–1847
Technical
Line length86 km (53 mi)
Number of tracksDouble track
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Electrification1.5 kV DC
Route map

Line from Amersfoort
Line to Utrecht enlarge…
Amsterdam Muiderpoort
-1
Amsterdam Centraal enlarge…
from port of Amsterdam
Line from Schiphol Airport
3
Amsterdam Sloterdijk
Amsterdam Sloterdijk (Hemboog)
Line to Zaandam
River Liede
Haarlem Spaarnwoude
River Spaarne
19
Haarlem
to Uitgeest
to Zandvoort
23
Heemstede-Aerdenhout
28
Hillegom
39
Voorhout
Line from Schiphol Airport
46
Leiden Centraal
to Woerden
River Oude Rijn
48
De Vink
51
Voorschoten
57
Den Haag Mariahoeve
Line from Zoetermeer and Rotterdam
59
Den Haag Laan van NOI
Den Haag Centraal
Line to Gouda
61
Den Haag Hollands Spoor
63
Den Haag Moerwijk
65
Rijswijk
69
Delft
71
Delft Campus
from Hoek van Holland
River Schiedamse Schie
82
Schiedam Centrum
River Delfshavense Schie
high speed line from Schiphol Airport enlarge…
Line from Utrecht Centraal
86
Rotterdam Centraal enlarge…
Line to Breda

From December 2011 it is used by all direct trains from Amsterdam to The Hague, and all direct supplement-free trains from Amsterdam to Rotterdam except those through Woerden.

History

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It contains the oldest railway line in the Netherlands, and follows the old horse-drawn boat (Dutch: trekschuit) canal route from Leiden via Haarlem to Amsterdam-Sloterdijk. It was opened between 1839 and 1847 by the Hollandsche IJzeren Spoorweg-Maatschappij. The oldest section, opened in 1839, led from Amsterdam to Haarlem. Leiden and The Hague were reached in 1843, and the final section from The Hague to Rotterdam was opened in June 1847.[1]

The opening of the Weesp–Leiden railway (1978) and the Amsterdam–Schiphol railway (1986) provided a shorter connection from Leiden through Schiphol Airport to Amsterdam. Nevertheless, the old line via Haarlem has remained an important railway line.

In March 2015 a new tunnel and station were opened in Delft, underpassing the former railway station and viaduct. Currently the doubling of the tracks is underway, after a long delay.[2]

References

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  1. ^ De Bosch Kemper, M.J. (1865). Handleiding tot de kennis van de wetenschap der zamenleving en van het Nederlandsche staatsregt (in Dutch). Amsterdam: Johannes Müller. p. 883.
  2. ^ "English summary". Spoorzone Delft.
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