The initial construction work at and around Schiphol Airport station is complete. A lot of work was carried out in the Schiphol Tunnel and on the lifts in the station. We will continue on this project – which will ensure that the railway infrastructure is ready for the next forty years – in October.
Published on: 18 April 2023
Two large projects are being carried out at Schiphol Airport train station: the Schiphol Tunnel Major Maintenance project (Groot Onderhoud Schiphol, GOS) and the Multimodal Hub Schiphol project (Multimodale Knoop Schiphol, MKS). For the former, construction consortium Strukton Volker Schiphol is working in and outside the railway tunnel at Schiphol. BAM Infra is carrying out the work on the Multimodal Hub project together with Kone (supplier of the lifts and escalators). They are renovating the station’s lifts, elevators and stairs. The modifications will improve passenger flow and create more space on the platforms and in the Plaza above. Both projects reinforce each other.
Inside the railway tunnels
The Schiphol Tunnel has two tunnel tubes. Nearly 5,200 metres of sleepers and rails in these tubes have been renewed over the past period. In the oldest tunnel tube, we removed the smoke-absorbing wall and ceiling panels. These were stuck with glue that contained asbestos fibres. Meanwhile, 6,800 m2 of the tunnel was cleaned. Three interchanges were renewed and a trial was carried out with a new prefabricated beam and slab railway, which we will continue to lay in the railway tunnel later this year. This railway will have a longer lifespan, reducing the need for future maintenance in the Schiphol Tunnel.
As part of the GOS project we will also be replacing the existing overhead contact line and installing a power rail in the last quarter of this year. We will also be raising the railway so that travellers can get on and off the trains more easily.
Escalators and ramps
In the first quarter of 2023, all three of the station’s lifts were renewed. In addition, two stair/escalators were replaced with a double escalator.
The ramps (moving walkways) will be replaced by stairs in order to create more space for travellers on the platforms. The platforms are often crowded and crowd control will be deployed on platforms 1&2. To guarantee safety also in the future, we are creating space on all platforms by replacing the ramps with stairs. They take up a lot less room.
At the same time, the number of escalators will be doubled. They will also be given new glazing, doors and wall finish in order to increase fire safety.
From the end of September, we will replace the ramps with stairs and one of the existing stairways will be replaced. The works on the ramps will be complete in February 2024.
When will we resume work at Schiphol Airport station?
Normally, work is scheduled as much as possible during holiday periods. But these are the busiest times of the year at Schiphol. The large-scale renovation work on the Schiphol Tunnel and the Schiphol Multimodal Hub project will therefore only be carried out in the first three and last three months of the year. This way, we plan as much work as possible outside the holidays so that the airport remains accessible for travellers. Work will therefore resume around the beginning of October.