ONE train station that sees over 167,000 passengers each day will completely close next week.
Due to essential works, no trains will run to or from Amsterdam Centraal on October 3 – this includes Eurostar services to and from St Pancras.
The train station that serves the city of Amsterdam in the Netherlands is about to undergo ‘vital’ rail works.
As a result it will be closed for one full day on October 3 with schedules significantly reduced on the two following days between October 4-5.
The upgrades include connecting new tracks around Amsterdam Centraal to the rail network.
ProRail’s construction manager Wai Ko explained: “We are adapting the station step by step so that there will be more space for passengers and trains in the future.
“Over the weekend of October 3, together with contractor Dura Vermeer, we will connect track 11a to the rail network. We will also disconnect track 14a.
“That involves a great deal of visible work, such as physically joining the tracks, as well as a great deal of work that passengers never see.”
Other works taking place will be ‘invisible’, held within the signalling systems in technical rooms and at the traffic-control center.
It’s likely to cause major disruption over the weekend considering that Amsterdam Centraal is the second-busiest railway station in the Netherlands and one of the busiest in Europe.
As a result of the engineering works, Eurostar has said that there will be no trains between St Pancras and Amsterdam between October 3-5.
On its website, Eurostar apologised for the disruption.
On Saturdays there are typically three direct Eurostar routes to Amsterdam Centraal and 15 indirect routes from London St Pancras.
There are also the same number of services between Amsterdam and London.
On Sundays there are usually four direct routes and nine indirect journeys with the same from Amsterdam to London.
Eurostar usually has five direct Amsterdam services on Monday and nine indirect services – on the return are typically five direct trains and six indirect.
Eurostar’s services to Rotterdam will remain unaffected.
If you were due to travel to Amsterdam on these dates – these are the options provided by Eurostar…
Eurostar has provided the following options for those affected by Amsterdam Centraal’s closure between October 3-5…
• Use your ticket to get on or off your train at the station before or after your cancelled stop if your planned journey is only partially disrupted.
• Exchange your booking for free to travel in the same travel class at a different time or date. It only takes a minute to rearrange your trip.
• Cancel your booking and claim an e-voucher. You will have 12 months from the date of your disrupted journey to redeem it on eurostar.com.
• Cancel your booking and get a refund. You’ll receive a refund for the value of your ticket but not for any booking or exchange fees. We’ll process your request within 28 days.
You have three months from the date you were due to travel to claim your preferred option.