If it were up to Mayor John Jorritsma, Eindhoven would have a third train station. That is what he said at the official opening of the Central Station.
“We are working on KnooppuntXL. This is the area between the Philips Stadium and the Dommel. It will be developed into a residential, business, and recreational area in the next 15 to 20 years”, Mayor Jorritsma explains. “There will be a train station, so the university will also be better served. So, that third station is coming in due course”.
Eindhoven is the first city in the province of Brabant that may add the word Central to the station’s name. According to the Mayor, it was high time. “The Central Station designation indicates the importance of the train station. People simply cannot ignore Eindhoven anymore.”
Eindhoven is a railway hub
“Not only on a national level but also on an international level”. Wendy de Wild from ProRail supports Jorritsma. “Eindhoven has one of the most important stations of the Southern Netherlands. Also for international train traffic. It really is a hub”.
The old station blue signs, saying simply ‘Eindhoven’ were also handed over to their new owners. Stef Tiersma is one of the lucky recipients. He has transformed his living room into a train compartment and this blue sign is a nice addition. “It is really nice that I can now have an authentic piece of Eindhoven in my house”, he proudly says.
In order to obtain the designation, Central Station, a city must meet various requirements. It must have more than 100,000 inhabitants and at least 40,000 passengers must travel through the station every day. However, there is one criterion Eindhoven does not meet. According to ProRail’s guidelines, the city must have at least three stations. If it were up to the Mayor, this would happen will quickly.
Source: Studio040
Translator: Bob
Editor: Melinda Walraven
