Vlud Piterkusel station
Vlud Piterkusel Station Baansdop Vlud Piterkusel | |
|---|---|
 The south facade of Piterkusel station, showing tram lines 9 and 19 | |
| Location | Gurweersdec Piterkusel Vlud |
| Owned by | Vyvlubaan (platforms and ticketing) Vlud City Council (shopping arcade and tram stops) |
| Line(s) | High Speed Line 1 File:Sdadbaan vlud logo.png Sdadbaan File:Vlud Metro roundel.png Metro:
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| Platforms | 19 main line 6 metro 7 tram |
| Connections |  Buses |
| Construction | |
| Bicycle facilities | Yes |
| Other information | |
| Station code | VPL |
| History | |
| Opened | 1844 |
| Traffic | |
| 54 million (total) 33 million (overground only) | |
Vlud Piterkusel station (Vyvlander: Baansdop Vlud Piterkusel) is a major station in Vlud, serving as a hub for Vyvland's national rail network, suburban rail, the Vlud Metro and Vlud's tram system. It is situated on the right (western) bank of the River Fule in Piterkusel borough, from which the station takes its name. The surface-level section is the busiest station in Vyvland. However, when the metro platforms are added, the station becomes the country's third-busiest, with 53 million passengers per year. This figure is due to fall upon construction of the new station of Vlud Greetbaansdop in railway yards to the west of the station, designed to relieve pressure on the terminus platforms at Piterkusel and provide a stop in Vlud for through trains without having to reverse.
Piterkusel is the main hub for long-distance trains terminating in Vlud from the west, south and north. The station is located on High Speed Line 1 and will be served by some trains from the new High Speed Line 2 to Lorence (and later Jesel) when it opens in 2019 - though many of these trains will terminate at or pass through the Greetbaansdop instead of Piterkusel, allowing service frequencies on the overcrowded Sdadbaan to Piterkusel to be increased. Piterkusel is located on Metro Line 1 and Line 4, with an underpass connection to platforms on Line 2 at Malersjri Metro station
The station lies at the end of the Inner Vlud Loop, at the western end of the double-level Niybrujdorbruj. The Loop lets services services continue to the suburbs west of Vlud, and lets services from these stations terminate at Piterkusel. Trains travelling across this bridge stop next at either Goydmurt or Panneweg station.
History
Piterkusel station takes its name from the borough of Piterkusel, in which it is located. The borough itself is named after the Piterkusel hill, atop which Piterkusel Castle lies; this hill and castle are located directly south of platforms 1 to 5 (i.e. the southern terminus platforms) and thus provide a backdrop to the station. During the station's extension in 1864, the outer castle walls at the base of the hill were partially demolished.
Piterkusel station was built on the Nazonalbaan, the first line between Lorence and Vlud. It thus lies at the end of the fourth passenger railway line opened in the country, though it was not the original terminus: this lay at Brunnerwej to the southwest, a temporary terminus while Piterkusel was being constructed. Brunnerwej station was only shut in 1939 after the partition of Vyvland as few to no trains ran to southerly destinations.
Despite the station's grand construction, it proved insufficient to handle all terminating trains. It was majorly extended to the south in 1864, and then underwent a complete transformation in 1885 when the tunnel under Goydmurt connecting the station to Goydmurt station was constructed. This led to the removal of the middle eight terminus platforms to create eight new through platforms which remain to this day (though four are used primarily for terminating suburban services). Four new terminus platforms were constructed to the north of the station at this point, followed by two more in 1912 and another in 1949, when the northern side of the station was refurbished.
Similarly to much of central Vlud, the station building is constructed from white portland stone, with a roof consisting of two steel arches intersecting at right angles. Though the south facade makes the station seem like a north-facing terminus, the platforms actually lie at right angles to this facade. The northern facade is built to a more modernist design after damage in the Vyvlander Civil War. This extension, constructed during a period of austerity, has experienced significant problems with leakage from the roof and may be replaced or renovated in the near future.
Services
Metro
Metro lines 1 and 4 stop at the Metro station, which handles 21 million passengers per year. There is a pedestrian underpass connecting the ticket hall of Piterkusel Metro station with that of Malersjri Metro station, which lies 250 metres to the southeast, allowing passengers to reach Metro line 2. Malersjri is also the next stop after Piterkusel on line 4.
| Previous station | File:Vlud Metro roundel.png Vlud Metro | Next station |
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Tram
Piterkusel is the second-largest hub on Vlud's tram network, with seven lines stopping at the station, six of which terminate here. Trams 9 and 19 stop directly outside the south entrance to the station on Gurweersdec, while the others (trams 10, 11, 16, 18 and X) stop under the station on three platforms under Oydelvedkerweg.
| Previous stop | File:Vlud-tram.png Trams in Vlud | Next stop
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Suburban
Piterkusel, along with Goydmurt, is also a hub of the Vlud Sdadbaan, the metropolitan area's suburban rail network, and is the terminus for just under half the services on the system (with the others terminating at Goydmurt). Sdadbaan trains from Piterkusel travel to Jong, Wesge Airport, Breson, Nencia, Beyleu, Alsen-Undrekliv, Pedersdad and Kraaref and also serve Keykre, Rubre, Melvdon and other towns and suburbs.
Sdadbaan trains terminating at Goydmurt are the 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 40, 41, 43, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 76, 91, 92, 93, 94 and 95. Trains beginning with 2 (and train 40) terminate here for trips into the western suburbs and commuter belt, trains 41 and 43 are routed eastwards around the north of the Inner Vlud Loop (thereby avoiding Goydmurt), while trains beginning with 7 and 9 are routed via Goydmurt into the western suburbs. Note that not all these trains run every day and many trains are infrequent or do not operate at peak times.
Regional and national
Trains to destinations west, north and south of Vlud usually terminate at Piterkusel; this includes those to Lyksdal, Lorence, Mafiy, Jesel. High speed services call at Wesge Airport and Mafiy Medel, with some continuing on to Heersduik, Govkros and other northern destinations. High speed services to Lorence and Jesel are under construction, while plans for a high-speed line to Lyksdal are being drawn up.
Future
Many of Piterkusel's intercity services will be diverted to the new Vlud Greetbaansdop being constructed in railway yards to the west of the station. The current predicted opening date for this new station is in 2019, to coincide with High Speed Line 2. Its opening will coincide with a major restructuring of suburban services which is likely to see an increase in capacity into Piterkusel. Thus, Piterkusel will likely move from its modern function as an intercity terminus to a function more like Goydmurt, whose intercity services are more limited but local services more intense.