Leiden Centraal railway station

Leiden Centraal
Leiden Centraal railway station
Location	Leiden, South Holland,  Netherlands
Coordinates	52°09′59″N 4°28′56″E / 52.16639°N 4.48222°E / 52.16639; 4.48222Coordinates: 52°09′59″N 4°28′56″E / 52.16639°N 4.48222°E / 52.16639; 4.48222
Owned by	Nederlandse Spoorwegen
Line(s)	Amsterdam–Rotterdam railway Weesp–Leiden railway Woerden–Leiden railway
Platforms	6
Tracks	10
Connections	Arriva: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 20, 21, 30, 31, 37, 38, 45 (shared with Veolia Transport), 50, 56, 57, 169, 182, 183, 186, 187, 221, 250, 269, 365, 400, 510, 854 Veolia Transport: 43, 45 (shared with Arriva)
History
Opened	17 August 1842
Services Preceding station   Nederlandse Spoorwegen   Following station Den Haag Centraal Terminus NS Intercity 700 Schiphol Airport toward Groningen Den Haag Hollands Spoor toward Rotterdam Centraal NS Nachtnet 1400 Night train Schiphol Airport toward Utrecht Centraal Den Haag Centraal Terminus NS Intercity 1800 Schiphol Airport toward Leeuwarden NS Intercity 2100 Heemstede-Aerdenhout toward Amsterdam Centraal Den Haag Laan van NOI toward Vlissingen NS Intercity 2200 Den Haag Laan van NOI toward Dordrecht NS Intercity 2400 Schiphol Airport toward Lelystad Centrum Terminus NS Intercity 8800 Leiden Lammenschans toward Utrecht Centraal NS Sprinter 3300 Sassenheim toward Hoorn Kersenboogerd De Vink toward Den Haag Centraal NS Sprinter 4600 Sassenheim toward Zwolle NS Sprinter 6300 Voorhout toward Haarlem Terminus NS Sprinter 8900 Leiden Lammenschans toward Alphen aan den Rijn
Location

Leiden Centraal is the main railway station in Leiden, a city in the Netherlands.

Leiden Centraal station opened on 17 August 1842 as the southern terminal of the first expansion of the Old Line (Dutch: Oude Lijn) from Haarlem. The original building was replaced by a new one, designed by D.A.N. Margadant, in 1879. This station was later razed and replaced by a third station designed by HGJ Schelling. Due to its post-war design, which was also implemented at other Dutch railway stations, Leiden Centraal became synonymous with the word "ugly." Increasing numbers of passengers also caused the building to become overcrowded. Eventually, it was demolished.

The fourth, and current, station was designed by Harry Reijnders and completed in 1996. Consisting of a white lattice structure, a curved, shell-like entrance leads into a ticketing hall lined with shops and restaurants. When first built, the floor had a bright blue and white finish. Problems with passengers slipping required that the floor be replaced with standard tiling.

In 2007, Leiden Centraal was renovated in accordance with the introduction of the OV-chipkaart, which created a nationwide smart card fare system. To implement the OV-chipkaart, ticket barriers were installed, separating the station into a paid and unpaid area. The platforms, waiting area, and several shops comprise the paid area, while the rest of the station (including ticket machines and other shops) is classified as unpaid. The barriers are still open, as the new ticket system is still optional.

As of 11 December 2016^[update], the following train services call at this station:

For the bus services are the responsible companies Arriva and Veolia Transport.

Exit near the Leiden University hospital

Bicycles near the railway station

Leiden Centraal in 1970