Nijkerk–Ede-Wageningen railway
The Nijkerk–Ede-Wageningen railway is a railway line in the Netherlands currently running from Barneveld to Ede-Wageningen. The part between Nijkerk and Barneveld has been demolished. It was previously nicknamed the Kippenlijn ("chicken line") in Dutch, but since 2006, it's nicknamed Valleilijn ("valley line") by its operator (Connexxion).
| Nijkerk–Ede-Wageningen railway | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Overview | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Status | Operational | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Locale | The Netherlands | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Termini | Nijkerk railway station Ede-Wageningen railway station | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operation | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 1902-1903 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operator(s) | 1902-2006 Nederlandse Spoorwegen since 2006: Connexxion | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Technical | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Line length | 30 km (19 mi) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number of tracks | single track | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Electrification | 1.5 kV DC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The line
The Valleilijn is a single track line with passing loops at Barneveld Centrum and Lunteren. It runs through the valley where there are many chicken farms and was therefore originally called the Kippenlijn until a project was launched on 10 December 2006.
The line has interchanges with other railway services at Amersfoort and Ede-Wageningen.
History
The line opened on 1 May 1902 as the Kippenlijn from Nijkerk to Ede. The line between Nijkerk and Barneveld Noord closed in 1937 and the whole line was shut on 7 September 1944 because of World War II.
The line re-opened on 20 May 1951 and was electrified for that date as well. The line operates as the Oosterspoorweg between Amersfoort and the Barneveld Noord junction. From there the line is 17 km long and takes 20 minutes to operate from Barneveld Noord to Ede-Wageningen.
Stations
The following stations are on or serviced by the Valleilijn (Hoevelaken is technically situated on the Oosterspoorweg), including some possible interchanges:
| Station | Interchanges | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Amersfoort Centraal | Zwolle, Apeldoorn, Deventer, Utrecht, Hilversum, Amsterdam, Gouda, The Hague and Rotterdam | Previously known as Amersfoort Aansluiting (1889–1902) and Amersfoort (1902–2019). |
| Hoevelaken | Previously, Hoevelaken had a station on the Utrecht - Zwolle railway line from 1905–1938.[1] | |
| Barneveld Noord | P&R Site, signposted off the A1 (Transferium). Previously known as Barneveld-Voorthuizen (1937-1981). | |
| Barneveld Centrum | Previously known as Barneveld Dorp (1902-1981). | |
| Barneveld Zuid | Newest station on the line; opened on 2 February 2015. | |
| Lunteren | ||
| Ede Centrum | Previously known as Ede Dorp (1902-1951). | |
| Ede-Wageningen | Utrecht and Arnhem | Previously known as Ede (1845-1938). |
Previous stations
Driedorp, Appel, Dusschoten, Voorthuizen, Barneveld Kruispunt, Meulunteren, Doesburgerbuurt, Stompekamp and Ede Gemeentehuis.
2006 Service improvements
Before 10 December 2006, the line was operated by Nederlandse Spoorwegen but on that date, Connexxion took over the service and made a lot of improvements.
Train
5 new Protos train sets were placed into service, to improve comfort on the line. They wear a special blue Valleilijn livery (see gallery). 2 Stadler FLIRT 3 train sets were also put into service in 2018.
Buses
From 10 December 2006 Veolia Transport, also relaunched the bus service 88 (Ede - Wageningen). A fleet of brand new buses were placed into service in the same Valleilijn livery. This service operates up to every 10 minutes.
Passengers can connect with the train from/to Amersfoort.
Train services
| Series | Train Type | Route | Material | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31300 | Connexxion Stoptrein | Amersfoort - Barneveld Noord - Barneveld Centrum - Barneveld Zuid - Lunteren - Ede Centrum - Ede-Wageningen | Protos | 2x per hour |
| 31400 | Connexxion Stoptrein | Amersfoort - Barneveld Noord - Barneveld Centrum - Barneveld Zuid | Protos, GTW | 2x per hour (Mo-Fri until 8 pm, Sa until 5 pm, does not run on Sundays and on holidays) |
Gallery
Protos unit 5034 at Lunteren on 3 May 2008
Protos unit 5034 at Ede Centrum on 16 December 2007
A hired Mat '64 unit in Ede, before the service changing to Protos units
The 88 Bus at Ede-Wageningen
New bus stops were also put in along the 88 route