The Rotterdam Metro is a rapid transit system operated in Rotterdam and surrounding municipalities by RET. The first line, called Noord - Zuidlijn (North - South line) opened in 1968 and ran from Centraal Station to Zuidplein, crossing the river Nieuwe Maas in a tunnel. It was the first metro system to open in the Netherlands. At the time it was also one of the shortest metro lines in the world with a length of only 5.9 kilometers (3.7 mi).
In 1982 a second line was opened, the so called Oost - Westlijn (East - West line), running between Capelsebrug and Coolhaven stations. In the late 1990s, the lines were named after two historic Rotterdam citizens, the Erasmus Line (North - South) after Desiderius Erasmus and the Caland Line (East - West) after Pieter Caland. As of December 2009, these names were dropped again in favor of a combination of letters and colors, to emphasize and clarify the difference between the several branches of especially the former East West line.
Contents |
| Line | Southern / western terminus | Northern / eastern terminus |
|---|---|---|
| Line A | Schiedam Centrum | Binnenhof |
| Line B | Schiedam Centrum | Nesselande |
| Line C | De Akkers | De Terp |
| Line D | De Akkers | Rotterdam Centraal |
| Line E | Slinge | Den Haag Centraal |
In the northeast of Rotterdam, Lines A and B branches of to Binnenhof (Line A) and to Nesselande (Line B). The latter one has been extended since September 2005; before that date, this line terminated at De Tochten.
North of Capelsebrug station, with the exception of the De Tochten-Nesselande section, lines A and B have some level crossings (with priority), and could therefore be called light rail instead of metro. These parts also have overhead wires, while most of the system has a third rail (the other exception is line E (RandstadRail) to The Hague). However, the term 'light rail' is not used in Rotterdam, most people just call these branches metro.
At Capelsebrug, line C branches of from the main East-West section to De Terp in Capelle aan den IJssel. Until November 2002, the Calandlijn (now lines A, B and C) terminated in the west of Rotterdam, at Marconiplein. On November 4, 2002 an extension through the city of Schiedam towards Spijkenisse was opened. The extension included 4 new stations in Schiedam (including Schiedam Centrum railway station) and one in Pernis. Line C joins Line D at the new Tussenwater station in Hoogvliet. Trains of Lines A and B still terminate at Schiedam Centrum, while the Line C trains continue and, like those on the Line D, terminate at De Akkers station in Spijkenisse.
Line D runs from Rotterdam Centraal via Beurs, Slinge, Rhoon, Tussenwater, and Spijkenisse Centrum towards De Akkers.
Line D intersects with Lines A-B-C at Beurs station, the only underground interchange between metrolines in the Netherlands. Before the connection with Line E at Rotterdam Centraal was realized in December 2011, some Line D trains terminated at Slinge.
When the Hofplein Line was converted from a railway line to a rapid transit line in 2006, the old Hofplein station was temporarily kept as the line's southern terminus. On August 17, 2010 however, a new tunnel opened, which connected the metro station of Rotterdam Centraal via a new tunnel and new Blijdorp station with the existing tracks near Melanchthonweg station.
For the next year, work was in progress to connect Line D to Line E at Rotterdam Centraal station. Since the completion of this project in December 2011, all trains coming from The Hague terminate at Slinge (these are line E trains), while line D keeps it service between De Akkers and Rotterdam Centraal.
| Series | Built | Vehicle numbers | Manufacturer | In service | Traction power supply | Vehicle length | Cabs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5000 | 1966-1967 1970 |
5001-5027 5051-5066 |
Werkspoor | No | Third rail only | 29 m (95 ft) | 2 |
| 5100 | 1974–1975 | 5101-5126 5151-5152 |
Düwag | No | Third rail only | 29 m (95 ft) | 2 |
| 5200 | 1980–1984 | (5201-5271) 5201+5229 destroyed in a fire 31.10.2006 | Düwag | No | Third rail Overhead wire |
29.8 m (98 ft) | 2 |
| 5300 | 1998–2001 | 5301-5363 | Bombardier | Yes | Third rail only | 30.5 m (100 ft) | 1 |
| 5400 | 2001–2002 | 5401-5418 | Bombardier | Yes | Third rail Overhead wire |
30.5 m (100 ft) | 1 |
| 5500 | 2007–2009 | 5501-5522 | Bombardier | Yes | Third rail Overhead wire |
42 m (138 ft) | 2 |
| 5600 | 2009–2011 | 5601-5642 | Bombardier | Yes | Third rail Overhead wire |
42 m (138 ft) | 2 |
The new series 5500 trains, made between 2007 and 2009, were built for the new RandstadRail line E. The 5601-5642 trains were built to replace older Düwag stock (series 5200).
As of 2013, the metro network will be extended westward to Hoek van Holland, as RET will take over the train line from NS. The new line will connect to the existing network at Schiedam Centrum. Part of the project is the addition of a new station at Maassluis.
As part of the "Stadionpark" project, a new line between Zuidplein and Kralingse Zoom is planned. This new line will bypass the existing transfer at Beurs and will provide better public transport connections for residential areas on the South bank of Rotterdam.
Trains run on 750 volts DC power which is supplied through a bottom-contact third rail throughout most of the system. There are multiple spring-loaded contact shoes on both sides of the vehicle, which are loaded and unloaded automatically due to the slanted edges of third rail ends. This allows the rail to be installed on either side of the track, a necessity around points and station platforms. There is sufficient overlap between the two rails on either end to avoid a "gapped" train, a situation where none of the shoes are in contact with the live rail. To reduce the risk of electrocution, the rail consists of a sturdy yellow insulating material, with the live current carried on a thick metal strip on the bottom side. This also guards against grime (such as from fallen autumn leaves) reducing or preventing electrical contact.
Three lines do however use overhead wires. After passing Capelsebrug station, trains bound for Binnenhof (Line A) or Nesselande (Line B) raise their pantograph while the vehicle is in motion. They will now pass (with priority) several protected level crossings at street level. For this reason, trains with a pantograph (series 5200 and 5400) are equipped with turn signals just like any road vehicle. This makes it easy to see the difference between series 5300 and series 5400 Bombardier-built trains. Note that Line B trains, bound for Nesselande, will run on third rail again for the final leg of the journey, from the penultimate station De Tochten to Nesselande. The other line with overhead wires is line E. Trains bound for The Hague raise their pantograph after leaving the tunnel from Blijdorp station to Melanchtonweg station.
Jan van Huijksloot and Joachim Kost, Veertig jaar Metro in Rotterdam 1968-2008. Uitgeverij Uquilar, 2008.
|
||||||||||||||||