Raising the metro platform roof

The bright yellow support structure above Beethovenstraat, where part of the temporary platform for metro line 52 (the North/South line) will be, has already been prepared. But more work needs to happen. The full length of this platform is covered by a steel structure around 100 m in length that keeps passengers dry. In mid-July 2022, we are raising the height of this platform by almost 2 m. This means that the roof also needs to be raised. The work is being done at night, in the weekend of 4-5 June.

So, how do you actually move a steel colossus weighing around 40 tonnes? Dismantling and re-assembling it would be very time-consuming and also cause a lot of disruption to passengers. This is why contractor Heijmans is set to use five cranes to move the whole of the roof to its new destination. It has already installed 19 piles into the platform during the night. We will be hoisting the roof on top of that. It is quite an endeavour. The cranes take up a lot of space, which is in very short supply in the immediate vicinity of Amsterdam Zuid station. This is why we had to make several other preparations.

In the weekend of 20-21 May, we demolished most of the metro platform on the other side. We can put the five cranes that will move the platform roof there. Before that, we replaced and repositioned all the installations – cameras, lighting and intercom units – to enable us to remove most of the platform on the next day. In June, we are also building a brand-new, raised platform here.

In the weekend of 4-5 June, we are lifting the roof, 100 m in length and weighing 40,000 kg, into its new position. The work will be done between 01.00 and 07.00 in order to prevent disruption to passengers. There may possibly be some noise disruption during the night: steel structures need to be assembled and removed in order to relocate the roof and this could cause nuisance. When this work has been done, we will be preparing for the next step on 16 and 22 July: increasing the height of the platforms.