Traffic control post rail traffic Utrecht
Project: Utrecht Rail Traffic Control Post
Industry: Infrastructure
Location: Utrecht
Completion: 2015
Client: Prorail
Installer: Homij Technische Installaties bv
ProRail recently opened the new traffic control post in the Cartesius Triangle from which all train traffic in and around Utrecht is controlled. Nearly 300,000 travelers use Utrecht Central every day, and this is expected to increase by another 25% in the next 10 years. The new traffic control post offers plenty of space to manage the increasing traffic flows around Utrecht Central Station.
The construction of the new station took a year and was designed by De Jong Gortemaker Algra architects and engineers (dJGA) and built by Visser & Smit Bouw. The electrical installations were provided by Homij Technische Installaties. MCT Brattberg cable glands were used to seal the incoming cables.
The new building has an area of almost 4,500 m2 and can accommodate a hundred employees. The so-called Seinzaal is the beating heart of the new traffic control post. It is a large open space with an area of about 1,000 m2 and a height of 5.20 meters. From here, ProRail traffic control has a view of the track and the surrounding area. The building is located a few kilometers north of Utrecht Central Station. Where the old building still had to be evacuated in the event of calamities, the train traffic controllers can continue to carry out their work undisturbed from now on.
The new traffic control post is a sustainable building that uses triple glazing, solar cells and hybrid cooling machines. For the exterior of the building, the so-called Corten steel has been chosen, with the typical rust-brown color, which also serves as natural sun protection. In addition to the use of sustainable materials, the new traffic control post is also used as a pilot location for raw materials management and new purchasing systems, based on circular purchasing.
The construction of the new traffic post is part of the large-scale renovation work in and around Utrecht Central. The station hall is currently being completely renovated and will be ready in 2016. In addition, 80 kilometers of new track will be laid, a completely new railway bridge will be built over the Amsterdam Rhine Canal and 7 surrounding stations will be renovated or built completely new. The total work, which is estimated at € 2 billion, will soon make the most busy rail junction in the Netherlands ready for the future.
