History

opened in 1843 by the Nederlandse RhijnSpoorweg Maatschappij (NRS), and offered a train connection to Amsterdam and Arnhem. This was joined in 1863 by a local station, added by the Nederlandsche Centraal Spoorweg Maatschappij, with trains to Amersfoort, Baarn and Zeist. These two stations were separated from each other by the Leidse Rijn canal. They were connected by a footbridge.

The railway line to ‘s-Hertogenbosch laid by the Dutch State was opened in 1870. The state and the NRS were unable to reach an agreement on joint usage of the NRS station. The state therefore built its own station, Utrecht StaatsSpoor, 750 metres to the south of the NRS station. The Hollandse IJzeren Spoorweg Maatschappij built the Maliebaanstation on the eastern side of the city centre in 1874.

Of all these stations, the NRS station was the most favourably positioned. Utrecht SS was closed again as early as 1874. From 1901, trains from Hilversum ran through from Lunetten to the NRS station. A new connection between Hilversum and the local station arrived in 1921. Train traffic from Hilversum to the regional station kept increasing, resulting in the Maliebaanstation closing in 1939. Meanwhile, the NRS station was christened “Centraal Station” in 1909. After Utrecht Central Station’s capacity was expanded, in 1937 the local station became superfluous. With the construction of the Leidseveertunnel, which was completed in 1940, the local tracks could be extended and four dead-end lines were laid right next to the station building.

(source: Wikipedia)
The full story on the history of Utrecht Central Station can be read at DUIC.