Public Transport Terminal

Developer: ProRail
Architect: Benthem Crouwel Architects in collaboration with engineering firm Movares
Status: Definitive design
Constuctor: Besix NV
Total Investments: 227 million Euro
Capacity now: 201.000 daily commuters
Capacity 2025: 360.000 daily commuters  

Utrecht Central Station is too small for the number of people that use it. The station was built to accomodate aprox. 35 million users a year. At this moment some 55 million people use the station. This number is expected to rise even further in the future, towards some 100 million in 20 years time. This is why ProRail is building a new Public Transport Terminal. The new station will get a spacious, light main terminal-hall, with a roof in a wave-like construction. Shops will mainly be situated along the north strip of the hall. The southside will consist of one long glass wall with a view of the traintracks. Bus and taxistops will be reachable directly from the main hall.

Often heard criticism regarding the current station is that it is not visible as a separate building. This is about to change. The new Public Transport Terminal Utrecht will be a recognisable, separate building, with entrances at large, elevated forecourts both at the east and the west side. On the Jaarbeurs side, this square will be in front of the Beatrix theatre and the new council office for the city of Utrecht. At this moment, Hoog Catharijne and the station still flow from the one into the other almost imperceptibly, but in the future they will be disconnected. The present station traverse will be demolished and be replaced by a large, elevated square, partly in the open air. From this square there will be an entrance to the renovated Hoog Catharijne. But it will also be possible to walk straight into the city centre from the square, via stairs.

The new station is one of the six large new stations that will be built in the Netherlands during the coming years: Rotterdam, The Hague, Breda, Arnhem and Amsterdam South will also get new stations.

Download the brochure here [ pdf-3530kB]. View the 3D animation of the new Public Transport Terminal here.