Station Pijnacker

I know, looks strange doesn't it, but that's the way it's done in Dutch and seeing as this proposed lay-out is according to a Dutch prototype, that's how I'll head the page.

When I lived in Holland I used to commute daily by train from Pijnacker to Den Haag HS (The Hague), where I worked as a salesclerk in a photo retail store called "HAFO" at Wagenstraat 67/67a. Living as close to Pijnacker station as we did, meant I could, on a good day, listen for the train to pull into the station and then run like hell and be one of the last ones to board and still catch that one. That was in the days of Mat46 which had doors that were not centrally controlled, so if needed, you could still open a door from the platform and get on board as the train was pulling away. Enough reminiscing, I cannot run that fast any longer, here are some pictures of how things look today.

You are looking at the "business side" of Pijnacker station. The platform lay-out is unusual by North American standards in that they are not opposing on the right side of their respective direction tracks, but are staggered. It is not the only station on the line to have this configuration and I can only speculate on its purpose. Maybe one of my Dutch site visitors can with this one.

And one finally did. Hans Damen wrote: "The staggered platforms have a safety reason measure on stations with a one level passengers crossing (on the same level as the train tracks, not with a tunnel). The crossing is between the platforms. A person who wants to cross the tracks after getting off the train can see if the other track (trains in the opposite direction) stays clear. If the platforms are at the opposite of each other, you cannot see the train from the opposite direction which can be behind the train you just left."

The crossing just west of the station. The line crosses the Oostlaan which tees into the Vlielandseweg to the left and the Klapwijkseweg to the right. I remember the crossing still being manned, and lowered and raised manually, it's all automatic now. Notice the bicycle path.

This is shot from the crossing looking towards the station. If you look carefully you'll notice the difference in style between the first overhead portal and the ones following in the station. The short bridge runs over what remains of the Laanvaart, which served as a waterthoroughfare to the auction yard (veiling). Farmers used small barges to carry that day's pick of the crop to the veiling. Basically it now is just a drainage ditch and because it doesn't see the barge traffic any longer it no longer qualifies as a "vaart" but as a "sloot".

It used to be great fun for us as boys to stand underneath the bridge when a train came rolling across it.

Just around the bend to the right from the crossing is the Klapwijkseweg. To the right of the ditch is a so-called "volkstuin" or community garden and it runs essentially behind the westbound platform of Pijnacker station.

Back to the station

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Page last updated July 19th, 2002