If you are often on the metro platforms at Amsterdam Zuid station, you will no doubt have noticed it. In recent weeks, construction workers from the Nieuw-Zuid consortium (Mobilis, Boskalis and Van Gelder) have been working between the metro tracks on a huge roof section measuring 100 m long and 4 m wide. They started by preparing dozens of rods of concrete rebar reinforcement, before building the formwork and pouring the roof section with around 400 m³ of concrete. This has now hardened – the colossus is quietly waiting until we shift it around 16 m to the south this summer, right underneath the most southerly metro track.
Replacing roof sections underneath metro tracks
We are replacing a section of the roof of the existing station passageway at Amsterdam Zuid station (Minervapassage) because, in the future, it will be twice as high and more than three times as wide as it currently is. In the summer of 2023, we moved the first new roof section into its permanent position. In the future, the tracks for line 52 (the North/South metro line) will be on top of this. On top of this roof section, we previously built the second roof section for the Minervapassage, which we shifted to the north underneath the metro track serving lines 50 and 51 in the direction of Isolatorweg in the summer of 2024. There is now a new roof section in this same position, which we will be moving underneath the most southerly metro track (for line 50 in the direction of Gein and line 51 in the direction of Amsterdam Central Station) in the summer of 2025. When that is in position, all of the metro tracks served by the Minervapassage will be at the right height.
Demolition of glass dome
Before we can move the roof section into its permanent position, there is plenty of other work to be done. For example, we first need to remove the southern glass dome and platform roof (which we already did with the northern glass dome). Before the roof section is moved, there is also some preparatory work to be done in the passageway itself, such as laying cables and pipelines. We will then build a new support pillar in the passageway. This is required because the new roof section is much longer and heavier than the part of the roof it is replacing.
Railway tracks already at the right height
The railway tracks at Amsterdam Zuid station are already at the right height. However, the roof sections underneath the railway tracks will be renovated in the future, because the Minervapassage will be much wider than it is now. It will be 40 m wide, compared to 12 m now. As a result, the roof sections underneath the railway tracks need to be the same length as the metro tracks, i.e. 100 m. The major regeneration of Amsterdam Zuid station is necessary in order to accommodate growing passenger numbers.
No trains running for two weekends
Because of the works, there will be no trains running from and to Amsterdam Zuid station during Ascension weekend (29 May until 2 June 2025) and the weekend of 14/15 June.
Major disruption in 2025
This year, we are working hard on the regeneration of Amsterdam Zuid station and the reconstruction of the De Nieuwe Meer junction. The A10 Zuid will be closed at certain times and there will be limited railway and metro services during specific periods. In this overview (pdf, in Dutch), you can see the major disruption expected in 2025.
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