Amsterdam Metro

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Amsterdam Metro
A metro train at the stop Weesperplein
Info
Owner	City of Amsterdam
Locale	Amsterdam, Amstelveen, Diemen, Ouder-Amstel
Transit type	Rapid transit and light rail
Number of lines	4 lines
Number of stations	52 stations
Operation
Began operation	1977
Operator(s)	Gemeentelijk Vervoerbedrijf
Number of vehicles	106 vehicles
Technical
System length	42.5 km (26.41 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Top speed	70 km/h (43 mph)
Route diagram

The Amsterdam Metro is a mixed rapid transit and light rail system in Amsterdam, and its surrounding municipalities Amstelveen, Diemen, and Ouder-Amstel in the Netherlands. The network is owned by the city of Amsterdam and operated by the Gemeentelijk Vervoerbedrijf, the company that also operates trams, ferries and local busses.

There are four lines in the metro system. Three lines start at Amsterdam Centraal, of which line 53 and 54 connect the city center to Diemen, Duivendrecht, and Amsterdam Zuidoost in the southeast, and line 51 connects the city center to Amstelveen in the south. The Ring Line, line 50, connects Amsterdam Zuidoost to the west without crossing the center of the city. The North/South line is currently under construction and will connect the north with Amstelveen and crosses the historical city center.

The metro system uses standard gauge track, operating on 750 V DC third rail. Line 51 is a hybrid between metro and light rail, as it uses shared metro track between Amsterdam Centraal and Zuid, and shared tram track between Zuid and Amstelveen Centrum, continuing with the tram-style overhead at 600 V DC to Westwijk. Dual height platforms are provided at the overlapping stops for metro line 51 and tram line 5 vehicles.

The national strippenkaart ticketing system is currently being phased-out throughout the Netherlands. As a result the OV-chipkaart, which is a contactless smart card, is the only accepted ticket in the Amsterdam Metro system as from August 2009.

[edit] Construction

[edit] History

Amsterdam decided on the construction of a metro system in 1968. Four lines were to be built, connecting the entire city and replacing many of the existing tram lines.

Wall decorations remembering the demolition in the Nieuwmarkt neighbourhood and the resistance against it

In 1970 the construction of the eastern line was started and it came into operation in 1977. This eastern line consists of two branches, line 53 and 54, to link the city centre with housing developments in the south-east. During the construction, plans to demolish the entire Jewish neighbourhood near the Nieuwmarkt led to strong protests. The metro was still built (wall decorations at the Nieuwmarkt station are dedicated to the protests), but plans to build a highway through the neighbourhood in the centre of Amsterdam were abolished. The line had to be finished by the national government.

In 1990 line 51 was opened, partially sharing track with the previous metro lines, and new track with the extended tram line 5 to Amstelveen. This is referred to as a 'Sneltram' (fast tram), and was constructed to light rail standards. The changeover between third rail and overhead power takes place at Zuid.

In 1997 the ring line (50) was added to the system, providing a fast connection between the south and the west, eliminating the necessity of travelling through the city centre.

Construction of the north south line in Amsterdam North

[edit] Planned

In 2002, the construction of the North/South Line was started, which was due to be completed in July 2012. Due to several setbacks and disputes with the construction company the construction of the line is behind on schedule and it is now scheduled for completion in 2017. The new metro line will be the first to go to the northern Amsterdam district, underneath the IJ. From there on, it will run, via Central Station to Zuid train station, which is planned to replace Amsterdam Centraal as the city's main transport hub.^[1] The project initially had a budget of €1.46 billion, but after several setbacks the total cost estimation has been adjusted to €3.1 billion (price level 2009), which will make it the most expensive metro line ever to be built worldwide. The program has experienced several difficulties, mainly at Centraal Station, resulting in the project running more than 40% over budget. The original planned opening of 2011 has slipped several times, so the current deadline has been contractually agreed upon by all parties, with the construction companies facing fines should the completion date slip any further.^[2][3]

Map showing possible expansions for 2020

The tram line to IJburg in the east was originally planned to be a metro line, and a short tunnel was constructed eastwards from Centraal Station underneath the railway lines towards this goal. As this line was eventually constructed as a tram line, the tunnel had been abandoned, and there are plans to use it as part of a chocolate museum. There are still plans for the tram to IJburg to be upgraded to metro and connect to the nearby city of Almere, where big new residential areas are being built.^[4]

The North/South Line might be extended to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in the future.^[1]

[edit] Network

The network consists of four lines and five from 2017. These lines have 52 stations combined.

Line 50 (green)

Line 51 (orange)

Line 52 (blue, under construction)

Line 53 (red)

Line 54 (yellow)

[edit] Vehicles

There are 106 two-car vehicles for the Amsterdam Metro: 37 Ring Line units, 25 light-rail units, and 44 two-car metro units.^[5]

Vehicle	Type	Description[5]
	Two-car metro unit	Length: 37.5 m Width: 3.0 m Weight (fully loaded): 54.0 tonnes (75.0 tonnes) Maximum speed: 70 km/h Power: 4 x 195 kW DC power supply: 750 volts
	Light-rail unit	Length: 30.6 m Width: 2.65 m Weight (fully loaded): 48.5 tonnes (72.0 tonnes) Maximum speed: 70 km/h Power: 6 x 77 kW DC power supply: 600/750 volts
	Ring Line unit	Length: 30.9 m Width: 2.7 m Weight (fully loaded): 48.0 tonnes (72.0 tonnes) Maximum speed: 70 km/h Power: 6 x 70 kW DC power supply: 750 volts

[edit] Ticket system

The ticket gates for the OV Chipkaart at the stop Venserpolder

All metro lines in the Netherlands used to use the national strippenkaart as tickets. The strippenkaart was stamped in ticket machines and was also valid on other forms of public transportation using the strippenkaart such as busses, trams, ferries, and some trains.

In 2006 the metro system started introducing the successor to the strippenkaart; a contactless smart card known as the OV-chipkaart. New ticket gates have been installed in all enclosed stations, and standalone checkin/checkout machines where platforms are shared with the train and tram lines.

The OV Chipkaart replaced the strippenkaart system on August 27, 2009, and is now the only valid form of ticket on the metro system^[6].

[edit] Graphic design

The sign of the stop Diemen-Zuid with the M.O.L. typeface

For the signs of the Amsterdam Metro the typeface M.O.L. is used, which was specially designed for the signs by Gerard Unger in 1974. The spaces within the letters are larger than normal, in order to improve the letters' legibility when they are illuminated. The name M.O.L. refers to the Dutch word mol which means mole in English. There were plans to use a mole as the mascot for the metro, but this was stopped by city authorities.^[7]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Amsterdam Metro

• Metro map at the Gemeentelijk Vervoerbedrijf website
• Official Website (In Dutch)