It features a palace-like, Gothic/Renaissance Revival facade, with two turrets and many ornamental details and stone reliefs referring to the capital city’s industrial and commercial importance. In the first proposal, the station would be situated between the Leidseplein and the Amstel river. Amsterdam Centraal was designed by Pierre Cuypers, who is also known for his design of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. It is also served by a number of GVB tram and ferry routes as well as local and regional bus routes operated by GVB, Connexxion and EBS.
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Since 1997, the station building, underground passages, metro station, and the surrounding area have been undergoing major reconstruction and renovation works to accommodate the North-South Line metro route, which was opened on 22 July 2018. It features a Gothic, Renaissance Revival station building and a cast iron platform roof spanning approximately 40 metres (130 ft). Amsterdam-Centrum is the inner-most borough and historical city centre of Amsterdam, Netherlands, containing the majority of the city’s landmarks. The trains are operated by Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS), the Dutch national railway company.
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Amsterdam Central Station is the largest railway station in Amsterdam. The main driver of Monday’s fall was a signal from Japan’s central bank that a rate hike was more likely. If you depart from the station, arrive 15 minutes earlier and set aside some time for the transfer to the platform. Nonetheless, stay alert about your luggage and as on any train station in the world beware of pickpockets. Entering the station, you may inquire about the number of the platform you need at the Information desks set inside at the entries to the station.
Since 1997, the station has been continuously undergoing reconstruction works because of the development of the North-South Line of the Amsterdam Metro, which was originally planned to be completed in 2014. In the 1990s, a new signaling post was built on the western side of the station. In the early 1980s, the central hall and middle tunnel were considerably widened and modernized. In the 1950s, a pedestrian tunnel was created between the station and the road in front of it, which terminated inside the station. On 15 October 1889, the station was officially opened, drawing large numbers of crowds.
This card is valid on all means of transport everywhere in the Netherlands. Locals do not use paper tickets to use public transport but they use a card called Chip-card or OV-card. You can do so through our Amsterdam airport transfer webpage. Also the tourist boats that provide canal cruises depart on the city side. With one card you can visit most tourist destinations without other tickets and also use all forms of public transport.
Amsterdam Centraal
The train journey from Amsterdam Centraal Station to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport usually takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the specific train service. From there, you can easily walk, take a tram, taxi, or bike to your final destination within the city. The train journey from Schiphol Airport to Amsterdam Centraal takes approximately minutes. Just follow the signs for “trains”. You can also use an OV-chipkaart, a reusable smart card, to pay for the train.
- The train journey from Amsterdam Centraal Station to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport usually takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the specific train service.
- Since 1997, the station building, underground passages, metro station, and the surrounding area have been undergoing major reconstruction and renovation works to accommodate the North-South Line metro route, which was opened on 22 July 2018.
- There are convenient Information desks at the entry and numerous vending machines sell train tickets to other stations in the Netherlands.
- Due to several setbacks, some at the Amsterdam Centraal building site, the line was fully completed in 2018.
Canal cruise with the I amsterdam City Card
Also inter-city busses depart from the terminal on the waterfront. Trams serve the main city area while busses go farther to the outskirts of the city. For unlimited public transport for tourists we recommend an Amsterdam city pass. These themed walking tours have been put together by the city’s best guides, encompassing fascinating topics like the LGBTQI+ history of Amsterdam, maritime trade and sustainability or the romantic stories hiding behind some of the city’s most iconic buildings.
- You have to validate this ticket at the entry to the platforms area on each train station (chip-in) and signal the end of your trip leaving the platforms area of the station (chip-out).
- The three passenger tunnels underneath the station were upgraded and provided with convenience stores and kiosks.
- From old Dutch masters to international contemporary works, the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh, Moco, and Stedelijk museums can all be found along the famed Museumplein (Museum Square).
- As with the Rijksmuseum, the station’s overall architecture reminded many contemporaries of medieval cathedrals.
To add central to a word list please sign up or log in. Due to the completion of the Stationseiland project and the implementation of the Entree plan, the station has had two indoor bicycle parking station and two station bicycle parking stations around the station since 2023. Just behind the station is the EYE Film Institute Netherlands, easily accessible with a free ferry. Tram routes 2, 12, 13 and 17 call on the west side (Westzijde, Platform B) of the square, the other routes call on the east side (Oostzijde, Platform-A). From Amsterdam Central Station, one can travel by train to most major destinations in the Netherlands and surrounding countries. This means that there are 21 places where a train can be positioned for passenger access, with scissors crossings in the middle enabling trains to pass each other.
How long is the train from Amsterdam Centraal to the Airport?
National rail services at the station are provided by NS, the principal rail operator in the Netherlands. Track 1 terminates short of the western end of the station building, which fronts track 2. The old railway bridges to what is central nervous system depression the east of the station will also be replaced. This means that alterations will be made in the tunnels under the platforms again.
From the train station, you can take the escalators or lifts up to the airport’s arrivals and departures halls. From Amsterdam metro, bus stations, taxis, ferries, trams, to car and bike rentals. Learn how to get from the airport transfer to the Amsterdam CS station, around the city, and back to Schiphol. The new bus terminal had been recently added at the back of the station – on so called Ij-zijde (Ij Lake Side). The station has 15 platforms, additionally often divided into “A” and “B” parts. The main entry tunnel as well as the two other tunnels lead you to the station platforms.
How to get from Amsterdam to Copenhagen by train
In 2004, platforms were extended to accommodate international high-speed rail services. In 2000, the new western passenger tunnel opened replacing the main tunnel in the centre of the station which was shut down enabling the construction of the new metro line. In addition, the number of tracks on that side was expanded in order to increase capacity in the direction of Sloterdijk station. Cuypers’ design of the station building in many ways strongly resembled his other architectural masterpiece, the Rijksmuseum, of which the construction had begun in 1876. The new central station replaced Amsterdam Willemspoort Station, which had closed in 1878, as well as the temporary Westerdok Station used from 1878 to 1889. While Cuypers was the principal architect, it is believed that he focused mostly on the decoration of the station building and left the structural design to railway engineers.
A second, narrower and longer but similar roof on the north side of the station was completed in 1922. In 1920, the East Wing of the station (the lower end of the building) was demolished and replaced by “The East”, a postal service building designed by Cuypers’ son Joseph. The waterways would soon be replaced by tramways and cars as the primary modes of transport in the city. The visitors were charged 0.25 guilders to see the station; in the first two days after the opening, several dozens of thousands paid. Nevertheless, the building of the Central Station in front of the open harbour was forced through by the railway department of the Ministry of Transport in The Hague, and the Home Secretary, Thorbecke.
Glide past the city’s historic offerings on one of the famous canal cruises, witnessing 16th-century churches and iconic drawbridges like the Magere Brug (Skinny Bridge) from a new angle. You can find a great range of smaller stores on the cosy adjoining shopping streets of Haarlemmerdijk and Haarlemmerstraat. Or, for independent boutiques and vintage finds, head to some of the centre’s more alternative shopping districts, including De Negen Straatjes (9 Streets), Haarlemmerbuurt or the Spiegelkwartier. For a hidden surprise, step into the glass elevator, which will take you to Blue Amsterdam – a restaurant with spectacular city views and a menu packed with burgers, light bites and salads – perfect to refuel between shopping. Nearby, hit Kalvertoren on Kalverstraat – one of the busiest retail thoroughfares lined with the most prominent Dutch and international brands. For luxury shopping, there’s no better place to start than De Bijenkorf and Magna Plaza, two iconic department stores which tower over Dam Square.
The station is built on three interconnected artificial islands in the IJ lake. Cuypers’ station reflects the romantic nationalistic mood in the late nineteenth-century Netherlands, with its many decorative elements glorifying the nation’s economic and colonial power at the time. A royal waiting room for the Dutch monarchy (one of three in active use in the country today) was also included in the design.
The Amsterdam Centraal Railway station is located in the heart of the Dutch capital, on the IJ waterfront. On this website, you will find everything you need on travel times, on buses and trams, tips on bike rentals, and more. Get the Word of the Day every day!
Facilities and Amenities at Centraal Station Amsterdam
Or have a rummage at Spui for rare, second-hand and out-of-print books on Fridays and affordable local art on Sundays. A flea market and farmers’ market in one, Noordermarkt is a haven for delicious, organic produce, including honey, cheese and homemade cakes, as well as antiques, books and vintage fashion (Monday mornings and Saturdays). Nieuwmarkt is the place to go for locally-grown fruit and veg on Saturdays, and in the summer, you can haggle for vintage bargains on Sundays. Locals and savvy visitors gather on sunny days to enjoy the funky vibes, good music and home-cooked BBQ food.