Santpoort Noord–IJmuiden RailwaySantpoort Noord–IJmuiden RailwayThe Santpoort Noord - IJmuiden railway line, also known as the IJmondlijn, IJmuiderlijn or Vislijn, was the railway connection between Haarlem and IJmuiden. In 1983, the NS stopped passenger transport on the line, freight transport ended in 1994 and since 1999 the line has been officially out of use. On 5 July 2010, the Provincial Council of North Holland decided to construct a fast bus connection on the southern part of the railway line, after which the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management gave permission to dismantle the track. Santpoort Noord–IJmuiden Railway History The line between Velsen and IJmuiden was opened in 1883 as a branch line of the Haarlem - Uitgeest railway line. This railway line had already been constructed in 1867 by the HIJSM. The railway line connected to the existing line just south of the bridge over the North Sea Canal at Velsen-IJmuiden Oost station. In IJmuiden the line originally ran to the locks in the North Sea Canal. The intention was for large passenger ships to moor here. However, most of these continued on to Amsterdam. For this reason the track was moved to the fishing port in 1899. The final main station was opened here that year, with the fish station next to it, which was built specifically for the transhipment of fish. Fish transport by rail has grown enormously since then. When it opened in 1890, Westerveld Cemetery had its own rail connection for funeral trains from Amsterdam. The connection began at the level crossing at Driehuis-Westerveld station and ended approximately 50 metres to the north-west at a funeral station. This section of track was in use until 1911. The railway line between Haarlem and IJmuiden was double-tracked in 1926 and electrified in 1927, as one of the first railway lines in the Netherlands. The electrification of the Velsen-IJmuiden Oost – Uitgeest route followed in 1931. The doubling of the track and electrification significantly accelerated the train service. This led to the opening of three new stops along the line in 1927: Velsen Zeeweg, IJmuiden Casembrootstraat and IJmuiden Julianakade. After the construction of the Velsertunnel in 1957, the Haarlem – Uitgeest railway line was relocated. The connection with the railway line to IJmuiden was now at the new Santpoort Noord station. North of there, the new route turned eastwards. A new railway connection was constructed between the junction and Driehuis-Westerveld station. The old route was removed. However, a service house was preserved and is now a few dozen metres from the current railway line. The Velserspoorbrug and the connection at Velsen-IJmuiden Oost station were also removed. Santpoort Noord–IJmuiden Railway Closure The railway line was on the edge of the built-up area of IJmuiden. Due to the presence of the North Sea Canal, the IJmond area could not expand along the railway line. From the 1950s onwards, the new residential areas were located far from the railway line. From most (new) neighbourhoods it was therefore more attractive to travel to Haarlem by car or bus. A proposal from 1969, included in the NS policy plan Spoor naar '75, to move the terminus of the railway line to a new terminus IJmuiden Zeewijk, was rejected on the basis of a cost-benefit analysis. In addition, the old overhead line masts from 1927 were due for replacement in the early 1980s. Discontinuing parallel bus services in favour of the train would result in reduced accessibility for residents of Velsen and IJmuiden. Partly due to these factors, it was decided to close the line for passenger transport after a hundred years. In September 1983, the last passenger train ran over the route. A few months later, in January 1984, the overhead line between Santpoort-Noord and IJmuiden was removed. The following year, the two larger yards were dismantled. In the summer of 1989, the second track was removed. The railway line remained open for freight transport until 1994. This mainly involved the transport of fish in refrigerated trucks. This transport gave the line its nickname, the Fish Line. Lovers Rail Between August 1996 and October 1998, passenger transport was temporarily resumed on the line. The train service was operated by the company Lovers Rail, which wanted to start the competition with the NS. The Lovers Rail trains were called Kennemerstrand Expres, ran from Amsterdam and stopped at Haarlem, Santpoort Noord, at the remains of Driehuis-Westerveld and the IJmuiden main station. Because the station building had been demolished a year earlier and the platforms had also been removed, a temporary platform was constructed from scaffolding poles. Lovers bought four old M2 1st class carriages from the Belgian railways. For traction, Lovers used two diesel locomotives ex- NS 2200 (2207 and successively 2202, 2211 and 2215). The train was received with great enthusiasm in Velsen. However, the rail connection was again not a success and in October 1998 the last passenger train ran on the route again. Since then there has been no more activity on the line. The switch with which the line connected to the Haarlem – Uitgeest railway line (between Santpoort Noord and Driehuis ) was removed. Santpoort Noord–IJmuiden Railway Stations and Buildings After the route was diverted to connect with the Velsertunnel, the IJmondlijn had six stations (1957-1983):
Santpoort Noord–IJmuiden Railway Timetable From the electrification in 1927, a regular train service was established. The electric trains, first the so-called Blokkendozen and later the streamlined material, ran between IJmuiden and Haarlem and during rush hour between IJmuiden and Amsterdam almost always a half-hourly service. These trains were combined with trains from Beverwijk in Santpoort Noord or Haarlem. When the new timetable concept Spoorslag '70 was introduced, all trains ran every half hour to and from Amsterdam. The trains ran between Amsterdam and Haarlem combined with the intercity to/from Beverwijk and Alkmaar. Within a few years, however, the service was definitively shortened to Haarlem and on 24 September 1983 the last passenger train ran on this route. Santpoort Noord–IJmuiden Railway Material Deployment After electrification in 1927, steam traction made way for short trainsets consisting of the electric Mat '24 ('block boxes'). A number of carriages of this equipment were specially built for service on the IJmond line. The block boxes continued to run on the railway line until 1952. After that, the train services were taken over by the electric streamlined equipment, mainly Mat '46. At the end of the 1960s, the new Plan V trainsets started running here. Even the new 'Sprinters' SGM can still be seen on the line. In recent years, the older streamlined equipment also returned. It was also a Mat '46 trainset (number 676) that commuted on the line on the last day in passenger service and drove the very last train. Both the railway line and the equipment type were then taken out of service. Santpoort Noord–IJmuiden Railway Security Until 1957 Classic safety with arm signals and level crossings operated by crossing keepers. Santpoort Noord–IJmuiden Railway 1957-1972 Classical safety with arm signals and level crossings operated by crossing guards. On Santpoort-Noord AR panel with control exit signal towards IJmuiden, green flashing 6 and "Train in" button for trains from IJmuiden. Santpoort Noord–IJmuiden Railway 1972-1983 On-site operated Relay Protection. (TPRB) with light signals and automatic operation AHOBs. There was no detection between Velsen-IJmuiden Oost and IJmuiden Julianakade. Key boxes for "Train in", operating and revoking exit signal present at IJmuiden station. AR panel at Santpoort-Noord with operation exit signal to Westerveld, green flashing 6 and "Train in" button for trains from IJmuiden. Distant signal between Santpoort-Noord and Westerveld. At Westerveld station high-level signal 601 automatically operated when block was free for direction IJmuiden with delayed operation AHOB Westerveld, operation equal to stop-through switching at P-signals with the command stop. High-level signal 601 therefore never indicated safe but only came out of the stop position with a train at Westerveld, when the block to IJmuiden was free, taking into account the relay delay for the AHOB at Westerveld. The distant signal between Santpoort-Noord and Westerveld therefore always indicated yellow. The entry signal for IJmuiden was a dwarf signal that stood just before the station IJmuiden Julianakade preceded by a beacon after IJmuiden Casembrootstraat. Between IJmuiden Julianakade and IJmuiden the double track changed to single track. The exit signal from IJmuiden towards Santpoort-Noord was also a dwarf signal and stood at the Julianabrug. Both signals covered the switch where double track changed to single track. For the AHOB at Westerveld, the advance signal was located before the entry signal Santpoort-Noord. At IJmuiden station, there were various connections with manual switches of freight tracks not included in the protection. At the connections to the protected track there were telephone cabinets through which communication could occur with the Santpoort-Noord Train Service Management for permission to execute a train movement to the protected track. Driving on the left track was not protected. At IJmuiden Julianakade there was no entry signal for the left track. In the direction of Santpoort-Noord there was a beacon for the left track for the AHOB at Westerveld. At the junction Santpoort-Noord there was a dwarf signal for the left track. Santpoort Noord–IJmuiden Railway 1983-1998 Driving on sight, (ROZ) with manual keying AHOBs, stop sign for each AHOB. Exit signal Santpoort-Noord still carried green flashing 6, but immediately after the switch street a speed reduction sign 30 followed, followed by a speed sign 30. "Train in" button on AR-panel Santpoort-Noord now for only, still used, remaining track, originally right track towards Westerveld. The entry signal Santpoort-Noord from IJmuiden is in this period the original left track dwarf signal preceded by the approach beacon at Westerveld. Santpoort Noord–IJmuiden Railway 1998-1999 Shunting release protection (dwarf signal with white lamp on Westerveld and IJmuiden) with automatic operation of AHOBs. Key boxes for direction of travel and revocation on Westerveld station and IJmuiden station. On Santpoort-Noord still AR panel with "Train in" button for remaining track. Exit signal to IJmuiden still showed green flashing 6, followed by speed reduction sign and speed sign 30. Santpoort Noord–IJmuiden Railway Tracking After the closure of the railway line for passenger transport, the overhead line and the associated iron masts from 1927 were removed in 1984. The masts were not removed completely but sawn off at a height of about 30 centimetres (see image top left under History). In 1989, one of the two tracks was removed and the safety was simplified. This was the case for many years and the remains of the line were left to the elements. IJmuiden Julianakade station was demolished shortly after the line was closed for passenger transport, and the platforms disappeared. The station buildings at Velsen-IJmuiden Oost were also demolished immediately after the line was closed, but the wide island platform remained until 2014. The access tunnel to the platform was later bricked up. IJmuiden Central Station was demolished in 1995. As a result, a new platform had to be built for Lovers Rail a year later, which remained standing until 2003 after the line was closed again in 1998. The railway line itself was still maintained to some extent until 1999, but then it became overgrown. In 2008, the station yard at IJmuiden was demolished. In that year, all level crossings along the line were also made inoperable. The rails were removed and the grooves were filled with asphalt. The signals remained standing for a few more years. Platforms and concrete waiting rooms of the stations Driehuis-Westerveld, Velsen Zeeweg and IJmuiden Casembrootstaat along the line were present until the dismantling of the track in 2014. The former station building of Velsen Zeeweg was demolished in 2016. Santpoort Noord–IJmuiden Railway Demolition and Bus Lane Research by the province of North Holland into possible reactivation showed that the railway line could not be operated profitably in any way. In the summer of 2010, it was decided to dismantle the railway line so that the route to Velsen IJmuiden Oost could be converted into a bus lane. A free bus lane was constructed over the part of the former route for a HOV line, connecting Velsen and IJmuiden with Haarlem-Noord, the HOV Velsen. The budget for the construction was 67.5 million euros. Construction started in 2011 and the bus lane opened on 2 April 2017. With the arrival of the bus lane, any reopening of the railway line, in whatever form, is definitely off the table. The dismantling and removal of the rails between Driehuis-Westerveld and the former junction above Santpoort Noord was carried out by the 'Stichting Stoomtrein Goes - Borsele' (SGB). The retaining walls of the six remaining platforms along this section of the line were also removed. The works were carried out between 13 October and 21 November 2014. The remaining remains were removed the same year. Santpoort Noord–IJmuiden Railway Remnants The track along the North Sea Canal was covered with asphalt and then became a footpath. IJmuiden Casembrootstraat station was restored as a recreational area along the footpath. A small section of track with buffer stop at the end of the Geul has been preserved as a reminder of the IJmond line. In addition, there are still a few guard houses along the bus lane. Santpoort Noord–IJmuiden Railway Overview
Santpoort Noord–IJmuiden Railway Track Gauge: Standard gauge 1435 mm Santpoort Noord–IJmuiden Railway Created By: HIJSM Santpoort Noord–IJmuiden Railway Opened: Santpoort Noord - Velsen: 1 May 1867 Velsen - IJmuiden: 1 November 1883 Santpoort Noord–IJmuiden Railway Termination of Train Service: September 25, 1983 Santpoort Noord–IJmuiden Railway Train Service Restored: 1996 Santpoort Noord–IJmuiden Railway Termination of Train Service: 1999 Santpoort Noord–IJmuiden Railway Current Status: Broken up 2014 Santpoort Noord–IJmuiden Railway Electrified: 1927, removed 1984 Santpoort Noord–IJmuiden Railway Number of Tracks: 1 (second track dismantled in 1989, out of use since September 26, 1983) Santpoort Noord–IJmuiden Railway Track Section Speed: 30 (before 1983: 60) km/h Santpoort Noord–IJmuiden Railway Security: Until 1972 classic security. 1972-1983 On-site operated Relay Security. 1983-1997 Driving on sight with manual keying of ahob's. 1997/ 1998 Security release shunting (dwarf signal with white lamp on Westerveld and IJmuiden) with automatic operation of ahob's. Santpoort Noord–IJmuiden Railway Route Map line from Haarlem from 1957 line from Haarlem until 1957 0.0 Santpoort North line to Uitgeest from 1957 broken up 0.9 Three Houses-Westerveld Westerveld cemetery connection broken up 1.6 Velsen Seaway 2.6 Velsen-IJmuiden East also: IJmuiden East line to Uitgeest until 1957 3.8 IJmuiden Casembrootstraat IJmuiden until 1898 4.6 IJmuiden Julianakade port connection broken up 5.7 IJmuiden from 1898 Fishing station demolished | |||||
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