Voorweg is a
RandstadRail
RandstadRail () is a tram-train network in the Rotterdam–The Hague metropolitan area in the west of the Netherlands that is jointly operated by HTM Personenvervoer (HTM) and Rotterdamse Elektrische Tram (RET). It connects the cities of Rott ...
station in
Zoetermeer
Zoetermeer () is a city in the Western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of of which is water. A small village until the late 1960s, it had 6,392 inhabitants in 1950. By 2023 this had grown to 126.998 ...
,
Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
.
History
The station opened as a railway station on 22 May 1977 as part of the
Zoetermeerlijn, operating
Zoetermeer Stadslijn
Zoetermeer Stadslijn is a light-rail line converted from a former commuter rail line in the Netherlands, between The Hague and Zoetermeer.
History
Originally, the line was managed by the Dutch Railways (NS). Since June 2006, it has served as a l ...
services. The station closed on 3 June 2006 and reopened as a RandstadRail station on 29 October 2006, for the
HTM tram services (4), and on 20 October 2007, for tram service 3.
The station features four platforms on two levels that are at right angles to each other. The bottom two are the tracks from The Hague, which have not yet entered the Zoetermeer circuit. The platforms are low and at the same level as the tram doors.
It is one of only three stations in the world in which the same metro line still passes through it twice in a
pretzel
A pretzel ( ; from or , ) is a type of baking, baked pastry made from dough that is commonly shaped into a knot. The traditional pretzel shape is a distinctive symmetrical form, with the ends of a long strip of dough intertwined and then twi ...
configuration (the others being
Monument Metro Station
Monument is a Tyne and Wear Metro station, serving the Monument area of the city of Newcastle upon Tyne in Tyne and Wear, England. It joined the network on 15 November 1981, following the opening of the third phase of the network, between Haym ...
on the
Tyne and Wear Metro
The Tyne and Wear Metro is an overground and underground light rail rapid transit system serving Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, and the City of Sunderland (together forming Tyne and Wear). The owners Nexus have ...
in
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne, or simply Newcastle ( , Received Pronunciation, RP: ), is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is England's northernmost metropolitan borough, located o ...
,
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
and
Serdika
Serdika or Serdica (Bulgarian language, Bulgarian: ) is the historical Roman Empire, Roman name of Sofia, now the capital of Bulgaria.
Currently, Serdika is the name of a district located in the city. It includes four neighbourhoods: "Fondovi z ...
and
Serdika II stations on the
Sofia Metro
The Sofia Metro (, also colloquially called ) is the rapid transit network servicing the Bulgarian capital city Sofia. It is the only metro in Bulgaria. It began operation on 28 January 1998. , the Sofia Metro consists of four interconnected lin ...
in
Sofia
Sofia is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain, in the western part of the country. The city is built west of the Is ...
,
Bulgaria
Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
). A similar situation also existed for 14 years in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
on the
Vancouver SkyTrain
SkyTrain is the medium-capacity rapid transit system serving the Metro Vancouver region in British Columbia, Canada. SkyTrain has of track and uses fully automated trains on grade-separated tracks running on underground and elevated guidewa ...
at
Commercial–Broadway station
Commercial–Broadway (formerly two separate stations, Broadway and Commercial Drive) is a rapid transit station complex in Metro Vancouver's SkyTrain system in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It serves an elevated portion of the Expo ...
and briefly on the
Toronto subway
The Toronto subway is a rapid transit system serving Toronto and the neighbouring city of Vaughan in Ontario, Canada, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). The subway system is a rail network consisting of three heavy-capacity rai ...
, also in Canada, at
Bloor-Yonge, for six months in 1966.
Passengers can change at Voorweg for Meerzicht, Driemanspolder, Delftsewallen and Dorp to get to their destination faster.
Local policy issues
The construction of parking facilities presented challenges for local government. In 2010, station Voorweg received special attention to enhance safety because it was perceived as one of the most scary places in the region.
Services
The following services currently call at Voorweg:
Although RR3 stops at both levels, RR4 stops only at the lower level.
Gallery
Image:RandstadRail netwerk 2009.svg, RandstadRail Network Map
Image:RR Ternoot 02072007.jpg, A RegioCitadis on RR4
Image:Hofplein 21-08-07.jpg, An RET Metro set that was converted for RandstadRail operation.
Image:Randstadrail Nootdorp 2.jpg, A new RET RandstadRail set, which replaced the Metro sets.
Image:Station Voorweg Laag.JPG, Station Voorweg Laag (Low Level (For Den Haag).
Image:Station Voorweg Hoog Zoetermeer.JPG, Station Voorweg Hoog (High Level (For Zoetermeer Stadslijn).
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Voorweg Randstadrail Station
RandstadRail stations in Zoetermeer
Railway stations in the Netherlands opened in 1977