r/Netherlands • u/InevitableStrength41 • Jun 15 '26
Transportation Lelystad Centrum station is falling apart and nobody cares
Lelystad station is in an absolutely unacceptable state.
Broken escalators for ages. Filth everywhere. Strong urine smell in multiple areas. The bicycle parking underneath the station is basically neglected, trash and zero real maintenance except maybe the entrance.
The automated bike storage feels unsafe and poorly managed. People sleep inside, hygiene is terrible, and it’s clearly not being controlled.
I’ve reported this to Nederlandse Spoorwegen. no response.
How is this acceptable in 2026? what can i do?
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u/electric_pokerface Jun 15 '26
Hugs and kisses from magnificent Lelylaan which is presently at perfect condition.
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u/Ambitious-Scheme964 Jun 15 '26
Have you seen the rest of the city
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u/Maneisthebeat Jun 15 '26
I guess this is why people recommend me Lelystad as an affordable city to still be able to buy a place?
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u/Strong_Witness416 Jun 15 '26
Amsterdamers generally say 'I wouldn't want to be found dead in that place'
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u/New-Avocado9663 Jun 15 '26
Half of the people in Lelystad come from Amsterdam
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u/Strong_Witness416 Jun 15 '26
Good friend of mine from Amsterdam lives in Lelystad (because Almere was too expensive)
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u/balletje2017 Jun 16 '26
Amsterdammers are the reason places like Almere and Lelystad have issues. Dumb low income Amsterdammers bringing Amsterdam problems with them.
I live in Amsterdam now and grew up in Almere. I dont hear or see Tokkies in Amsterdam anymore. But I see that stupid shit in minutes in Almere or Lelystad. 9 out 10 times someone does dumb shit in those places and its someone with roots in Amsterdam.
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u/DesperateSteak6628 Jun 15 '26
That’s why they call it Lelijkstad
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u/ravanarox1 Jun 16 '26
You are then disrespecting the guy who built the Afsluitdijk - Cornelis Lely!
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u/w4hammer Jun 16 '26
Is it really that bad?
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u/nerezo Jun 16 '26
no of course. apart from its distance from other major cities, the city has no other problems. on the other hand with train commuting to Amsterdam might be better than other places.
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u/franckvoort Jun 15 '26
As part of the renovation of the station area, the automated bike parking and the other covered bike racks are going to be improved soon. No clue how often you're in Lelystad, but if often, you'll have noticed the station's square looking a million times better, a new area for buses and the roads around the station being worked on. Improvements to the bike parking are part of this bigger renovation plan, and they should be getting to that this year. As for the inside of the station, that is Prorail's responsibility, as said earlier in this thread.
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u/InevitableStrength41 Jun 24 '26
thanks for your comment! currently im in contact with all the involved entities. as soon as i have an answer i will come back. and i live in lelystad, yes, i saw the changes and im quite happy but i just wanted to vent because indeed the station is a mess.
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u/Nothing-to_see_hr Jun 15 '26
NS is falling apart. Have you seen the state of the trains?
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u/TheKnightWhoSaisNi Jun 15 '26
Society is falling apart. Have you seen the state of commuters
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u/RightOperation4088 Jun 16 '26
Having traveled a lot, most recently to Japan and Canada, I can safely say that the Dutch are incredibly uncouth and rather disgusting . The entitlement of “dat ruimt iemand anders wel voor me op” is so strong, unbelievable. I imagine half the country pisses in the living room corner seeing the state of our public spaces.
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u/throwtheamiibosaway Jun 15 '26
Trains are fine. People are the issue.
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u/Nothing-to_see_hr Jun 16 '26
Well, Dutch trains are also disgusting from the outside because we don't seem to wash them anymore. This has a subtle effect on morale of personnel and travellers alike. Nobody cares.
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u/sovietarmyfan Jun 15 '26
Try to find a news website which would like to investigate the story. Getting something to the media is often faster than reporting to Prorail.
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u/HuisHoudBeurs1 Jun 15 '26
I believe they wanted a more congruent feel so it helps you get into the vibe of the city itself.
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u/Immediate_Gain_9480 Jun 15 '26
City council. Find a city council member and talk to them. Generally they are happy to hear you out. Maybe even go to a bunch, semd some emails. They can bring it up with the Alderman responsible.
A petition would also be a nice way to make clear people really care about this.
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Jun 15 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/nerezo Jun 15 '26
where did you feel unsafe? 99% of the city are residential areas, additionally nice and clean neighborhoods. I'm really curious where did you run around?
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Jun 16 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/nerezo Jun 16 '26 edited Jun 17 '26
Where is downtown? If you mean the old Lely center, it might be a bit run-down, but it's by no means unsafe. I haven't felt unsafe once even there.
I used to live in Amstelveen. Honestly, I feel more peaceful and happier here since 2 years. My children can also go out and play, and go to school more safely.
I don't really understand your baseless claims sometimes.
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u/InevitableStrength41 Jun 24 '26
Second this. we bought our house in lelystad 2.5 years ago and we live a peaceful life. and we are not the only ones, many coworkers are doing the same and for the same reason, cheap house-big spaces.
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u/CyclingCapital Jun 15 '26
ProRail maintains train infrastructure like stations. NS runs trains. Report to ProRail.