Tram bridge WSM - Schipluiden

When you cycle across the striking moss-green bridge near Schipluiden, you’re riding on a national monument with a remarkable past. This so-called Tram Bridge was built around 1910 as part of the railway line of the Westlandsche Stoomtramweg Maatschappij (WSM), which connected the Westland to Delft. The bridge spans the Vlaardingse Vaart and consists of two characteristic arch girders, each nearly 60 metres long. Together, they support the weight of the deck, a design typical of the pre–World War II era.

The bridge is made of no less than 173,000 kilos of riveted iron and over 4,600 kilos of steel. Each part was inspected at the factory in Amsterdam, transported by ship to Schipluiden and assembled on-site. On 1 October 1912, the first tram crossed the bridge, a festive moment.

Freight trains continued to run across the bridge until 1968. It then found a second life as a cycle path. In 2020, the bridge was restored and repainted in its original moss-green colour. A beautiful example of industrial heritage, and now a special part of your cycling route through Midden-Delfland.