Bad Nieuweschans (; abbreviation: Nsch), previously named Nieuweschans (1868–2013), is an unstaffed railway station in the village of Bad Nieuweschans, Netherlands. It connects the Harlingen–Nieuweschans and Ihrhove–Nieuweschans railways and is situated between Winschoten, Netherlands and Weener, Germany.
The station building was completed in 1867 and demolished in 1973. Train services started on 1 November 1868. Trains were operated by Staatsspoorwegen (1868–1937), Nederlandse Spoorwegen (1938–2000), NoordNed (2000–2005), and Arriva (2006–present).
The station has two tracks and two platforms. There are two local train services with trains every hour to and from Groningen and Leer (Germany). There are also two bus connections at the station provided by Qbuzz.
Location The railway station is located at the Stationsstraat in the village of Bad Nieuweschans. It is the easternmost station in the Netherlands Spoorkaart Nederland, ProRail, 2013. Retrieved 18 April 2015. and connects the Dutch railway network in the west with the German railway network in the east. Arjan Brondijk, "In 2016 pas sneltrein naar Leer", Het Streekblad, 2013. Retrieved 7 February 2017. The station is the eastern terminus of the Harlingen–Nieuweschans railway after Winschoten, which leads towards Zuidbroek and Groningen. The Ulsda railway stop was between Winschoten and Nieuweschans between 1887 and 1938. Overzicht van de spoorlijn Harlingen-Leeuwarden-Groningen-Nieuweschans, Stationsweb. Retrieved 8 February 2017. The station is also the western terminus of the Ihrhove–Nieuweschans railway after Weener, which leads towards Leer in Germany. Die Eisenbahn in Ostfriesland – Strecken & Stationen The distance from Bad Nieuweschans westward to railway terminus Harlingen Haven is , to Groningen , to Zuidbroek , and to Winschoten . The distance from Bad Nieuweschans eastward to Weener is and to railway terminus Ihrhove . Die Eisenbahn in Ostfriesland – Strecken & Stationen , Westbahn.de. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
History
The station building was completed in 1867. It was one of nine buildings in the Netherlands of the type SS Hoogezand etc. designed by Karel Hendrik van Brederode. Stationsgebouwen type SS Hoogezand etc, Stationsweb. Retrieved 21 May 2016. There was a customs office next to the station building. Stationsgebouw Nieuweschans, Stationsweb. Retrieved 21 May 2016. The segment of the Harlingen–Nieuweschans railway between Winschoten and Nieuweschans, as it was then called, was opened on 1 November 1868. The Ihrhove–Nieuweschans railway was opened on 26 November 1876. Rowin Penning, "6 december 1876", Noord-Nederlands Trein & Tram Museum, 2012. Retrieved 15 December 2015. Trains were operated by Maatschappij tot Exploitatie van Staatsspoorwegen until 1937. Maatschappij tot exploitatie van staatsspoorwegen 1863–1937, Het Utrechts Archief, 2013. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
Georges Simenon's story Maigret and the Hundred Gibbets (1931) starts in this station.The Hanged Man of Saint-Pholien (Inspector Maigret) Paperback – April 1, 2014, Amazon. Retrieved 7 February 2017. From 1938 to 2000, trains were operated by the Nederlandse Spoorwegen, which was formed when the Maatschappij tot Exploitatie van Staatsspoorwegen and the Hollandsche IJzeren Spoorweg-Maatschappij merged. In order to escape the Holocaust, Jewish physicist Lise Meitner escaped from Nazi Germany to the Netherlands, on her way to Sweden via this train station on the border. During World War II, between 1942 and 1944, more than 102,000 people were transported from the Westerbork transit camp to Nazi concentration camps. Nieuweschans was the last station in the Netherlands they passed, which is commemorated with the sculpture De laatste blik (The Last View). Bad Nieuweschans, 'De laatste blik' , National Committee for 4 and 5 May. Retrieved 18 April 2015. The station building was demolished in 1973.
Trains service have been provided by NoordNed from 2000 to 2005, "NoordNed neemt spoorlijnen van NS over", Nieuwsblad van het Noorden, 2000. Retrieved 7 February 2017. and by Arriva since 2006. "Arriva lijft vervoerder NoordNed in", Friesch Dagblad, 2005. Retrieved 7 February 2017. On 15 December 2013, the village was renamed from Nieuweschans to Bad Nieuweschans and the station name was changed accordingly. In December 2015, a railway bridge near Weener was destroyed in a collision with the ship Emsmoon, and the Ihrhove–Nieuweschans railway has been closed since. "Schip ramt spoorbrug Weener en legt treinverkeer Leer plat", Dagblad van het Noorden, 2015. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
Station layout
The railway through Bad Nieuweschans is unelectrified and oriented west to east. At the station, the single-track railway splits into two tracks. There are two platforms, platform 1 is north of the northern track and platform 2 is south of the southern track. Beyond the station the tracks merge back into a single track.Leeuwarden–Groningen, Sporenplan. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
Train services
Route Service type Operator Notes Groningen – Hoogezand-Sappemeer – Zuidbroek – Winschoten – Bad Nieuweschans – Leer (Germany) Local ("Stoptrein") Arriva 1x per hour Groningen – Hoogezand-Sappemeer – Zuidbroek – Winschoten (- Bad Nieuweschans) Local ("Stoptrein") Arriva During morning rush hour and on evenings, a couple of runs run through to Bad Nieuweschans.
Bus services
Line Route Operator Notes 620 Leer – Coldam – Weener – Möhlenwarf – Bunde (- Bunderneuland – Bad Nieuweschans) Weser-Ems Bus Only two rush hour runs run through to Bad Nieuweschans. 817 Bad Nieuweschans – Nieuw Beerta – Drieborg – Ganzedijk – Finsterwolde Taxi De Grooth Only one run during both rush hours.
References
External links
Bad Nieuweschans station, station information