Rail works during spring break are winding down, but plans are already being finalised for construction in and around the Leeuwarden train station during the autumn break.
Translation by Traci White
The Leeuwarder Courant reports that the station will be undergoing upgrades in preparation for more trains with more cars travelling between Leeuwarden and Groningen.
The main focus of the construction will be on the south side of the station where platforms will be moved in order to make more room for the longer trains. The tracks themselves will be doubled at the nearby level crossing at Schrans and Hollanderdijk, and a new turn lane will be built at the intersection.
The canopies at the platforms heading toward Meppel, Harlingen and Sneek on the west side of the station will also be restored. The old roofing above the platforms was removed in 2017 after being deemed unsafe. The new covering is meant to be in keeping with the historic style of the rest of the building.
It remains to be seen if a bike tunnel will ultimately be included in the construction works. When the plans were initially developed back in 2014, the municipality wanted a bike tunnel to be built in the vicinity of the station, but the municipal council struck that idea down. But during municipal elections in 2017, a number of parties were in favour of eventually building a tunnel.
