King opens Rotterdam Centraal station

Large crowds of people flocked to Rotterdam Centraal this afternoon to witness King Willem Alexander officiate the opening of the new train station.

The balconies of surrounding buildings were packed with people, who cheered and waved when the king arrived, accompanied by Rotterdam mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb and the king’s commissioner for Zuid-Holland, Jaap Smit. Rotterdam Centraal is the first in a series of new and larger train stations that are being constructed as the Dutch railway system is undergoing the largest revamp since it was started 175 years ago. The new station is larger than the previous structure and with its glass walls that give a panoramic view of the city it looks even grander. It has a pedestrian bridge that connects its 16 platforms and a new travelers’ passage that spans 50 meters. Rotterdam Central handles 110,000 people daily. The new station carries the nickname “Haaienbek” or Shark’s Mouth.