Eindhoven may have to take extra safety measures for buildings and public space in front of the railway. This is due to possible new regulations from The Hague, and due to an increase in the number of toxic trains on the Eindhoven track.
The municipality expects the number of trains transporting hazardous substances on the Brabant route to increase. It was previously known that this would make new construction around the railway considerably more difficult. But existing buildings will also have to be adjusted if The Hague does not change its plans.
The cabinet is said to be working on a new law that relates to environmental safety. When that law will come into effect, and what it exactly entails, is not clear. If the law comes into effect and the number of toxic trains remains high, ‘drastic safety measures’ must be taken for existing buildings and public space in the railway zone, the municipality of Eindhoven reports.
‘Increasingly complicated’
As a result, the dossier surrounding the new construction around the railway, in the context of the mega project KnoopXL, is becoming increasingly complicated. The arrival of the much-needed new construction around the railway is also made more difficult by the increase in hazardous substances transported by rail.
Explosion hazard
For example, buildings and facades around the track must be fire-resistant and resistant to explosions. The public space must meet additional safety requirements to prevent danger and be designed in such a way that a large number of emergency services can use it. Eindhoven says that the extra measures and investigations are also costing the municipality. This is partly because much more time is needed to assess the building plans.
Such an assessment is made even more complex by the toxic trains. The municipality must call in certain expertise to do a thorough risk analysis of the new building using mathematical models. As a result, it takes ‘much longer than usual’ before building plans can be approved, according to the municipality.
Course change
It has been known for some time that Eindhoven and the province of North Brabant are upset about the dossier. Earlier, a strong letter was sent from the province to the cabinet expressing the dissatisfaction of the province and the municipalities involved. However, it does not seem that this will lead to a change of course in The Hague.
Source: Studio040
For Eindhoven News: Lila Mehrez
