Travellers are set to benefit from an improved train and bus station at Schiphol. We refer to it as the Schiphol Multimodal Hub, or MKS. On 20 April, the MKS Steering Committee, on which all shareholders are represented, gave the green light to the design, budget and plan of action for the bus station and the lifts and stairs connecting the bus station and the train platforms, and gave its approval for the work to begin. The work on the new bus station will start in August 2023 in the zone alongside P1 and Sheraton.
The Ministry of Infrastructure & Water Management, the municipality of Haarlemmermeer, the Amsterdam Transport Authority, NS, ProRail and Schiphol have all joined forces to ensure that Amsterdam Airport Schiphol will continue to be a safe and comfortable hub for all travellers. The purpose of the MKS project is to increase the capacity of the hub as a whole, to guarantee safety and to improve spatial quality.
The entire bus timetable will remain intact during the period of construction of the bus station. However, some bus stops will be relocated: this will be clearly indicated. In preparation of the work, we will be relocating a number of transport functions from Jan Dellaertplein – including the coaches and some taxi services – to a new permanent location after the summer. This will create extra space for the building work to be carried out. To this end, a new ‘operational layer’ is currently being constructed along Koepelstraat.
In a few years’ time, the bus station will look very different. There will be a new large covered ‘bus island’, a redesigned lane for taxis, P3 buses, hotel shuttles and a bicycle storage facility. The through route for the emergency services will remain. There will also be direct links between the bus station and the train platforms below, and the WTC walkway above.
As part of the MKS project, work is being carried out to renew all the lifts, stairs and travelators between the train station and Schiphol Plaza. The work, which is already underway, will take place in three phases. It is being carried out in specially cordoned-off zones to minimise any inconvenience to the users of Plaza. The first phase was concluded last week, and we will be starting work on the next phase in the autumn.