This year, Sinterklaas is bringing a not-so-leuk present for those who frequent Rotterdam Centraal. From 25 to 27 November and 2 to 4 December, the station will be gesloten (closed).
The reason? Work on the train tracks.
The result? Upset Rotterdammers.
Shopkeepers, customers, and road users affected
The periods over which Rotterdam’s main station is set to be closed are prime times for festive shopping: the weekends after Black Friday and before Sinterklaas.
With all the hubbub gone from the station, stores throughout the city will miss out on some of their most important customers. And shopkeepers ain’t having it.
Pauline Buurma of the retailers’ association believes public transport around the city should be free while the Central Station is closed — “so that we can welcome everyone”, she tells the AD.
READ MORE | What happens during Christmas in the Netherlands? A guide to the winter holidays
Other points around the city — like the Willemsbrug and the Maastunnel — will also close at various times, leaving drivers to find alternative routes. 🚘
Part of a bigger glow-up project
So, what’s all this for? ProRail says that closing down Rotterdam Centraal is part of a larger project: the High-Frequency Rail Transport Rijswijk-Rotterdam Program. (Wow, really rolls off the tongue!)
The project has been in the works since 2019, and the end goal is to have eight intercity trains and six sprinters running on the Rijswijk-Rotterdam route in both directions.
How will this closure affect you? Tell us in the comments!
