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The Luchtspoor was a 2.2km long railway viaduct that formed the part of the Rotterdam – Breda railway line that ran through the centre of Rotterdam and went over the Niuwe Mass and Koningshaven. It started at Hofplein station and finished at the beginning of the bridge over the Niuwe Mass, the official name was the Binnenrotte viaduct. The viaduct opened on the 28 April 1877 as part of the state built Amsterdam to Belgium line. It was the only railway in the Netherlands to be built through the old town. Obviously this led to some disruption but the Luchtspoor eventually became a recognisable part of the Rotterdam skyline it also offered a spectacular view of the bustling city.

From 1855 the Dutch government studied the possibility of a rail link between Amsterdam and Belgium. It was already possible to travel from Amsterdam to Rotterdam by train, there was also a connection between Moerdijk and Antwerp but from Rotterdam to Moerdijk meant using a steam ship. One possibility for the connection was to go via Utrecht and Tilburg. This placed Rotterdam in a dilemma, they wanted to take advantage of good train connections to Belgium but feared that new bridges over the mass would interfere with the shipping. Rotterdam's preferred solution was to place the railway line through the south bank of the Mass in the Feijenoord area. This was not an option for Amsterdam and in 1868 Rotterdam agreed to a new railway to Moerdijk.

The new railway line from Breda had to connect with the existing Amsterdam – Rotterdam line at the Delftse Poort station (roughlly where Rotterdam Centraal Station is now located). To allow for through trains Delftse Poort station was remodelled and the Luchtspoor got it's own station in the centre of Rotterdam called Buers station this was renamed after the war to Rotterdam Blaak station.

To allow the continued use of Wijnhaven and Konningshaven swing bridges were built (two of the pillars are still visable in the Wijnhaven). Over time with larger ships the passage into Koningshaven became too tight so in 1927 a much larger lift bridge was built (de Hef).

In the 1980s with the bridges well over 100 years old it was decided to replace the bridges. De Hef, which frequently had to be opened was increasingly becoming a bottle neck in tis important rail link. After much discussion it was decided the bridge should be replaced by a four track tunnel in following the same route with an underground station at Blaak. The Willemsspoortunnel opened on the 15 September 1993. the Luchtspoor was subsequently demolished. De Hef however was left standing as a monument to the Rotterdam railway of the past.

[ [Category:Bridges in Rotterdam]] [ [Category: Railway bridges in the Netherlands]]