Schiedam–Hoek van Holland railway

The Schiedam–Hoek van Holland railway (also called the Hoekse Lijn) is a former railway line and future rapid transit line of the Rotterdam Metro between Schiedam and Hoek van Holland along the Nieuwe Maas, in the west of the Netherlands. The line is also an important freight railway. It is 24 kilometers (15 miles) long.

History

On 17 August 1891, the first section between Schiedam Centrum and Maassluis was opened as a heavy-rail line. The section between Maassluis and Hoek van Holland Strand followed on 1 June 1893. In 1935, the entire route was electrified.

The Stena Line provides a ferry service to Harwich International Port in Harwich, England from the Hoek van Holland Haven station. Formerly, other international train services used the line, as far as Moscow or Berlin; travellers can easily change at Hoek van Holland to the ferry. Since the opening of the Eurotunnel, the importance of this line has decreased sharply.

On 31 March 2017, the last passenger trains of the Nederlandse Spoorwegen operated on the line; they have been replaced by a bus service until the line reopens in September 2017 as part of the Rotterdam Metro. The overhead electrification system is being converted to 750 V DC and the railway stations to metro standards. Also, in Maassluis, a new station, Steendijkpolder, is being constructed, but plans for additional intermediate stations in Schiedam and Hoek van Holland have not been specified. The Hoek van Holland Strand station will also be moved closer to the beach, as the name suggests.

Services

Until 2017, there were five Sprinter trains per hour from Rotterdam Centraal station to Maassluis West and half-hourly services to Hoek van Holland Haven. In the peak season, all trains usually terminating at Maassluis West were extended to Hoek van Holland Haven, and the service between Rotterdam Centraal and Vlaardingen Centrum was increased to every 7.5 minutes. Service to Hoek van Holland Strand was only provided every hour during the summer months.

Between April and September 2017, three rail-replacement bus lines (711, 712, and 713) run alongside two regular bus lines (56 and 156). These services are being operated by RET.

In September 2017, metro line B from Nesselande will be extended at 10-minute intervals from Schiedam to Hoek van Holland Haven, half of which will terminate at Maassluis West (and later at Maassluis Steendijkpolder). Furthermore, metro line A will provide a service from Binnenhof to Vlaardingen West. The line will remain open to freight trains, retaining a connection to the national rail network at Schiedam.

Stations

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