Twenty new structures elevating the Dutch rail network to the next level

Antea Group was contracted to design twenty new structures on the Rijswijk-Delft route as part of the High-Frequency Rail Transport network. This is a very large rail project encompassing bridges, underpasses, culverts and the new Delft Campus station. Not only do the designs have to meet ProRail’s requirements, the works may not affect the availability of the lines. In other words, normal rail traffic may not be impeded. This means that every design must fit within a rigid construction schedule. 

We used separate sub-teams to design the twenty structures. Each design phase (preliminary, final and detailed) has been designed using 3D Building Information Modeling (BIM), a method that ensures that all interfaces (that’s to say aspects like cables, pipelines, station installations, overhead lines, and geotechnics) are taken into consideration in the overall design, i.e. a design in which all systems fit together flawlessly.

The real eyecatcher is the Delft Campus station. This is the first energy-neutral station in the Netherlands, thanks in part to the solar panels on the station roof. Antea Group will also be handling the installation of these panels.

Construction of various structures got under way in 2020. Our uniform, integrated approach resulted in a tightly organized process and consistent products. Based on this, we delivered twenty designs within the parameters, which have all been accepted and now form the basis for moving into the construction phase in a controllable manner. 

The client is ProRail. Antea Group has been contracted for the design, engineering and license management. Strukton Civiel and Strukton Rail are contractors.