Rotterdam Central Station is in need of renewal. The ZWN Groep, RET and NS Reizigers, the transportation companies using the station, developed a vision on how the station could be transformed into a transportation node of the 21st century. The aim was to write a report, starting from a transportation point of view, that would appeal on the municipal urban planners who are in charge of planning the future of the station area. Traffic forecasts formed a basis for the study. They showed a significant growth. The largest growth is caused by new light rail connections ("RandstadRail"), especially when they are coupled with the existing metro. The figures emphasize the importance of a good accommodation for transit passengers, mainly in the relations between train, metro and tramway. The analyses result in two spatial concepts that show how simple the transfer between modalities can be organised under one roof. A banana-shaped platform for the HST international gives the station even more style. A lot of space remains available for real estate development. (A)
Abstract