Amsteltram

The Amsteltram is a tram line under renovation between Amsterdam Zuid station in Amsterdam and Westwijk in Amstelveen. As a future second phase, the Amsteltram will be extended to Uithoorn. The tram line replaces metro line 51 (a.k.a. the Amstelveenlijn), a light rail line (sneltram) that ceased running on the 3 March 2019 to permit the renovation of the Amsteltram. The existing tram line 5 shared the same tracks with metro line 51 between De Boelelaan/VU and Oranjebaan stations, and continues to run with some bus replacement planned as the renovation progresses.[1] On 11 September 2019, the Amsteltram was given the line number 25 (Tramlijn 25).[2][3]

Mockup of the 15G tram to be used on the Amsteltram line

The Amsteltram project website presents the route as two sections. The northern section, between Amsterdam Zuid station and Westwijk in Amstelveen, retains the Amstelveenlijn name. The section south of Westwijk to Uithoorn, phase 2 of the project, is called the Uithoornlijn.

System testing of the line and vehicles will start in mid-August 2020. Training of 300 tram operators will occur in October. Opening the line to the public is expected in December 2020.[4]

Background

Dubbed the Amstelveenlijn, Metro line 51 was a light-rail (sneltram) line that ran between Amsterdam Zuid station to Westwijk in Amstelveen from 1990 until March 2019. The tracks were shared with tram line 5 roughly between De Boelelaan/VU and Oranjebaan stations.[1] There were bi-level platforms along the route: high-level platforms for metro line 51 and low-level for tram line 5. The tracks ran mainly along a reserved right-of-way in the middle of the street Beneluxbaan with street intersections controlled by traffic lights.[5]

At Amsterdam Zuid station, light-rail trains had to change over from metro mode to tram mode. Heading south, a light-rail train would raise its pantograph, retract its third-rail shoes and switch voltage from 750V (metro) to 600V (light rail). Also, the train had to retract its boarding plates at each door as light-rail cars were narrower than metro cars.[5]

Light-rail service was terminated because the light rail vehicles were old, crowded and prone to breakdowns. The change-over between metro and tram mode was a cause of many malfunctions as the vehicles aged.[5] The design of the line was not ideal for safety,[6] often experiencing collisions. GVB, the operator of the line, expects better reliability and safety after upgrading the line.[3]

The cost of renovating the Amstelveen line is €300 million with the municipality of Amsterdam paying €225 million and the Dutch government paying the remaining €75 million. The estimated cost of the extension to Uithoorn (Uithoornlijn) is €60 million.[5]

Amstelveenlijn conversion
Kronenburg stop after rebuilding

The following is a summary of the work needed to renovate the Amstelveenlijn, and convert it from light-rail to tram operation.[1]

  • Removal of high-level platforms.[5]
  • Replacement or overhaul of tracks, power lines and technical systems.
  • Rebuilding 3 level crossings as underpasses along Beneluxbaan at Kronenburg, Zonnestein and Sportlaan.
  • Removal of 4 stops: Amstelveen Centrum, Marne, Gondel and Spinnerij.
  • Removing the stops De Boelelaan/VU and A.J. Ernststraat stops and replacing them with a new intermediate stop.

At Amsterdam Zuid station, the Amsteltram will terminate temporarily on Strawinskylaan on the north side of the railway station. However, as part of the separate Zuidasdok project (related to the renovation at the railway station), the terminus would be later relocated to a new tram station on Arnold Schönberglaan on the south side of the railway station.[7]

On 9 March 2019, the new Kronenburg stop was opened. The stop is located in a pit below street level, and resembles a station with a centre platform with stairs and a glass-walled elevator leading up to street level. Bridges above the stop carry automobile traffic over the tram line via a roundabout.[8][9] On 25 May, the similarly designed Zonnestein stop opened.[10]

Vehicles

The Amsteltram will use low-floor trams (type 15G) manufactured in Spain by Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF). The trams are bi-directional with a cab at each end of the car to eliminate the requirement for turning loops. Each tram consists of 5 sections, and is 30 metres long and 2.4 metres wide. The capacity of each tram is 180 passengers including 50 seated. Sixty-three of these trams have been ordered. The trams can be coupled to run in pairs. The nose at each end of the tram is shaped so that in the event of a collision, the tram pushes aside the other vehicle rather than trapping it under the tram.[11][12]

A new tram depot is being constructed south of the Westwijk terminus in Legmeerpolder[5] on the south side of J.C. van Hattumweg. The site will have a service building (dienstgebouw) for GVB personnel and a mixed-use building (combinatiegebouw) with a rectifier station to convert AC to DC, technical space for minor repairs and storage space.[13] Initially, the site will have storage for 26 trams with space for 10 more in future to handle the Uithoornlijn.[14] There will be 2,500 metres of track including 11 turnouts.[15] Construction started in September 2018[1] with completion expected by mid-August 2020.[4]

Uithoornlijn extension

The extension of the Amsteltram south to Uithoorn (the Uithoornlijn) will begin once the Amstelveenlijn is completed. The Uithoornlijn will be on the right-of-way of a railway line abandoned in 1950. The extension will be 4 kilometres long.[5]

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References
  1. "Amstelveenlijn Factsheet" (pdf). Amstelveenlijn. City of Amsterdam. September 2018.} Reference PDF file must be downloaded.
  2. "Lijn 25 nieuwe nummer Amsteltram". Amsteltram (in Dutch). City of Amsterdam. September 2019. Archived from the original on 12 January 2020. Retrieved 14 January 2020.}
  3. Jacobs, Inge (11 September 2019). "Vernieuwde Amstelveenlijn krijgt lijnnummer 25". OV Pro (in Dutch). Retrieved 15 January 2020.}
  4. van der Meulen, Wendy (10 June 2020). "Test- en oefenperiode start half augustus". Amstelveenlijn (in Dutch). City of Amsterdam. Retrieved 4 July 2020.}
  5. Vosman, Quintus (5 March 2019). "Dutch start reconstruction of Amstelveen LRT" (pdf). International Rail Journal.}
  6. "Wat gaat er gebeuren?". Amstelveenlijn (in Dutch). City of Amsterdam. 26 November 2019. Archived from the original on 25 April 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2020.}
  7. "Nieuw tramstation bij Amsterdam Zuid". Amstelveenlijn (in Dutch). City of Amsterdam. Archived from the original on 12 January 2020.}
  8. van der Meulen, Wendy (10 January 2020). "Ombouwen verkeerssituaties Kronenburg en Zonnestein". Amstelveenlijn (in Dutch). City of Amsterdam. Archived from the original on 29 March 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2020.}
  9. van der Meulen, Wendy (29 March 2020). "Hoera! Halte Kronenburg is open". Amstelveenlijn (in Dutch). City of Amsterdam. Archived from the original on 29 March 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2020.}
  10. van der Meulen, Wendy (25 May 2020). "Hoera! Kruispunt en halte Zonnestein zijn open". Amstelveenlijn (in Dutch). City of Amsterdam. Archived from the original on 29 May 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2020.}
  11. "Nieuwe trams voor Uithoornlijn en Amstelveenlijn". Amsteltram (in Dutch). City of Amsterdam. 1 August 2019. Archived from the original on 12 January 2020. Retrieved 14 January 2020.}
  12. "Nieuwe trams". Amstelveenlijn (in Dutch). City of Amsterdam. Archived from the original on 25 April 2020.}
  13. van der Meulen, Wendy (9 January 2020). "Webcam Kronenburg verhuist naar het opstelterrein". Amstelveenlijn (in Dutch). City of Amsterdam. Archived from the original on 25 April 2020. Retrieved 18 January 2020.}
  14. Opdam, Danielle (16 January 2020). "Afbouw opstelterrein en werkzaamheden". Amstelveenlijn (in Dutch). City of Amsterdam. Archived from the original on 25 April 2020. Retrieved 17 January 2020.}
  15. van der Meulen, Wendy (22 January 2020). "Weer aan de slag!". Amstelveenlijn (in Dutch). City of Amsterdam. Archived from the original on 25 April 2020. Retrieved 22 January 2020.}
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