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Voorkant van Rotterdam Centraal, met de originele letters 'Centraal Station'

History

At the beginning of railway history, Rotterdam had four train stations from where passengers went and came to and from various directions. The first Rotterdam Central Station was opened in 1957.

The four stations were respectively Delftse Poort (towards Schiedam, Den Haag HS, and Amsterdam), Beurs (towards Dordrecht), Maas (towards Gouda and Utrecht), and Hofplein (towards Den Haag HS and Scheveningen).

The first Rotterdam Centraal Station, known at the time as Rotterdam Centraal Station, was officially opened on 21 May 1957. The station building was designed by architect Sybold van Ravesteyn and replaced Delftse Poort station, which had been damaged during the bombings of Rotterdam in the Second World War.

Van Ravesteyn’s station building was closed in 2007 and demolished the following year to make way for new construction. During the interim period until the new building was opened, a temporary structure served as the station. The bicycle tunnel was used as a passenger tunnel during this time.

The old Rotterdam Centraal metro station, which originally had two tracks around an island platform, was also renovated and expanded, benefiting the RandstadRail link with Den Haag Centraal. Switches now occupy the former location of the island platform of the old metro station. The RandstadRail Metro Line E was connected to the rest of the metro network by a new tunnel at Rotterdam Centraal.

10 years of Rotterdam Centraal

In the past ten years, Rotterdam Centraal has undergone a major transformation. The new station building, designed by Team CS (a collaboration between Benthem Crouwel Architects, MVSA Meyer en Van Schooten Architecten, and West 8), was officially opened by King Willem-Alexander on March 13, 2014. This modern and sustainable station building has become an important hub for both national and international train connections.

Since the opening of the new building, the station has been continuously improved and adapted to meet the growing needs of travelers. New platforms and enhanced facilities have been introduced, including extensive retail and dining options. The station now serves thousands of visitors daily and has become a symbol of the modern infrastructure and cosmopolitan character of Rotterdam.

In 2024 celebrated Rotterdam Centraal its 10th anniversary.