On Friday, October 30, the 155-year-old monumental railway station in Vught, Netherlands, was lifted entirely and shifted 13.6 meters east. Weighing 720 tons, the historic structure and its WWII-era shelter cellar were moved to make way for a new sunken railway trench.
The operation began between 08:00 and 09:00 on a Friday morning, drawing onlookers to the site via a special viewing stand and livestream cameras. Spanning roughly seven to eight hours, the move placed the 28-meter-long, 9.5-meter-wide brick structure onto a pre-installed concrete foundation 32 centimeters lower than its original elevation.
Why Did a 720-Ton Building Have to Move?
The relocation was required by the Programma Hoogfrequent Spoorvervoer, a national initiative running since 2010 to increase passenger train density on busy Dutch routes to a metro-like frequency of six trains per hour. To handle the extra traffic between Meteren and Boxtel starting in 2030, a fourth track is being laid through Vught.
That track runs through a 2.2-kilometer sunken trench between Loonsebaan and Laagstraat. Because the new sunken passenger platforms sit directly where the old station stood, planners faced a choice: demolish the structure or move it. Demolition was ruled out because the building is a nationally protected monument.
How Do You Slide a 155-Year-Old Historic Monument?
Executing the move required extensive preparation by the Alliantie Vught Verdiept—a partnership involving ProRail and contractors Boskalis and Van Hattum and Blankevoort—alongside specialized subcontractor Bresser. Before lifting, engineers verified that the 1868 structure remained in sound structural condition.
Simply put, we make a concrete tray under the building. We lift the tray with the building 80 centimeters and place a sliding track underneath it, which we can then use to move the building to its new location. We do this in increments of 40 centimeters at a time. Taco
Hydraulic jacks pushed the structure across the sliding tracks in precisely 34 steps of 40 centimeters each. Throughout the operation, monitoring equipment tracked structural integrity, with contingency plans to halt work if high winds or unfavorable weather threatened stability.
What Role Did the Station Cellar Play in World War II?
The decision to move the entire building rather than rebuild it also preserved its historic cellar, which carries deep significance for the local community. During World War II, thousands of Jewish prisoners were transported through Vught station.