Massive concrete slab installed to support metro track expansion at Amsterdam Zuid
A massive concrete slab weighing one million kilograms was shifted into position Monday above the tracks at Amsterdam Zuid station. The 100-meter-long, 4-meter-wide slab will support a new metro track that enables the expansion of the existing passenger tunnel beneath, Het Parool reports.
Passengers walked through the station hall Monday morning unaware that above them, the enormous concrete plate was slowly sliding into place, moving just centimeters at a time. The slab will carry metro lines towards station RAI and Noord starting in about four weeks.
Michiel Jonker, spokesperson for the Zuidasdok project, explained the complexity of the operation: “You can’t simply lift this deck with a crane. It moves on smooth slides and is pushed forward by five hydraulic jacks, ” he told Het Parool.
The new elevated metro track will allow the old Minervapassage tunnel beneath station Zuid to be widened and its ceiling raised. “The rush hour here is terribly crowded,” Jonker said. “With the new construction, we’ll have much more space.”
The Minervapassage renovation is scheduled to start in 2027. Before that, the newly built Brittenpassage will open, following months of closures earlier this year on the A10 highway and for train and metro services.
This work is part of the larger Zuidasdok project, which includes partially burying and expanding the A10 ring road. The station itself is undergoing significant upgrades, including a new passenger tunnel and an additional platform designed to accommodate growing passenger numbers.
ProRail forecasts a sharp increase in station Zuid’s daily users, from 80,000 in 2024 to 250,000 by 2030. The new platform will also serve international trains departing for Brussels and Paris.
The metro slab installation will take a total of six weeks. Jonker confirmed all work is progressing on schedule, with metro lines 50 and 51 expected to resume service between Zuid and Spaklerweg and Van der Madeweg by Monday, August 25.
