# Assen railway station

Assen (Dutch pronunciation: ; abbreviation: Asn) is a railway station located in Assen, Netherlands. The station was opened on 1 May 1870 and is located on the Meppel–Groningen railway. The station is operated by Nederlandse Spoorwegen. A new station building was opened in 2020, featuring a large wooden triangular roof with windows allowing light down to the indoor spaces and platforms, replacing the previous building from 1988. From 1902 until 1947 there was also a railway line to Gasselternijveen, where trains connected to the railway line to Stadskanaal.

## Future

The railway station and station area, is to be upgraded along with other public works around the city of Assen, such as the creation of a harbour quarter, joining up the canal system through the city and creation of a city boulevard. The road that passes outside the station will become an underground section. While above ground it will become pedestrianised towards the city centre and the new harbour quarter.
The upgraded station will accommodate an underground bicycle storage area, and cycle shop replacing the current outside stalls for rail users. The contract to re-design Assen station was won by the Powerhouse Company and De Zwarte Hond.
FlorijnAs is overseeing the wider works of improvement in the city and their website, available in Dutch and English, explains that: "Towards the end of 2015 the relocation of the cables and pipes for the station begins. Then the implementation of the road tunnel is planned for 2016, and In mid-2016 ProRail is to start work with the tracks and the platform tunnel." However 27 August 2015 saw the website spoorPRO release an article, stating that the works on the tracks have been pushed back till 2017, due to "hard work being scheduled elsewhere on other projects in 2016", while further in the article ProRail and contractors are stated to have said they are "currently working on the biggest track renewal since the birth of the railways".
While there is expected to be disruption from these works for everyday users, the station is currently not due to close during the scheduled works.
There are plans to open a station south of this one, called Assen Zuid, which will serve southern Assen as well as the TT Circuit Assen.

## Train services

| Series | Route | Stock | Service | Operator |
| Intercity 500 | Groningen – Assen – Zwolle – Amersfoort – Utrecht – Gouda – The Hague | ICM, NS DDZ | 1/hour | Nederlandse Spoorwegen |
| Intercity 700 | Groningen – Assen – Zwolle – Lelystad – Almere – Amsterdam South – Schiphol Airport | ICM, NS DDZ | 1/hour | Nederlandse Spoorwegen |
| Sprinter 6100 | Groningen – Groningen Europapark – Haren – Assen – Beilen – Hoogeveen – Meppel – Zwolle | SNG, SLT | 2/hour | Nederlandse Spoorwegen |
| Sprinter 6200 | Groningen – Groningen Europapark – Haren – Assen | SNG | 2/hour rush hour Monday until Thursday | Nederlandse Spoorwegen |
| Nachttrein 32790 | Groningen – Assen – Zwolle – Lelystad – Almere – Amsterdam South – Schiphol Airport | Stadler GTW | Only Friday night | Arriva |

## Bus services

| Line | Route | Operator | Notes |
| 1 | Assen TT-circuit – Ziekenhuis (Hospital) – Station – Centrum (town centre) – Industriegebied – Marsdijk | Qbuzz and CTS | |
| 7 | Assen Kloosterveen – Pittelo – De Lariks – Centrum (town centre) – Station – Wilhelmina Ziekenhuis (Hospital) – Vredeveld – Anreep | CTS | No service on evenings and Sundays. |
| 8 | Assen Kloosterveen – Baggelhuizen – Ziekenhuis (Hospital) – Station – Centrum (town centre) – De Lariks – Noorderpark – Peelo – Marsdijk | CTS | No service on evenings and Sundays. |
| 14 | Leeuwarden – Garyp – Nijega – Drachten – Ureterp – Wijnjewoude – Donkerbroek – Oosterwolde – Weper – Veenhuizen – Huis ter Heide – Assen | Arriva | After 21:00 and on Sunday mornings, the route between Oosterwolde and Assen is only served if called one hour before its supposed departure ("belbus"). The rest of the route is operated normally. |
| 20 | Assen – Smilde – Dieverbrug – Diever/Dwingeloo – Dieverbrug – Uffelte – Havelte – Meppel | Qbuzz and CTS | |
| 21 | Assen – Rolde – Grolloo – Schoonloo – De Kiel – Schoonoord – Sleen – Erm – Emmen | Qbuzz and Taxi Dorenbos |
| 22 | Assen – Graswijk – Hooghalen – Beilen – Westerbork – Wezup – Zweeloo (- Emmen) | Qbuzz and CTS | The route between Zweeloo and Emmen is only served during rush hours (excluding school breaks). |
| 24 | Assen – Rolde – Papenvoort – Borger – Buinen – Buinerveen – Nieuw Buinen – Stadskanaal – Nieuwe Pekela – Oude Pekela – Winschoten | Qbuzz | No service on Sundays. On Saturdays, this bus only operates between 1x per 2 hours between Assen and Stadskanaal. |
| 50 | Groningen – Haren – Glimmen – De Punt – Vries – Ubbena – Assen | Qbuzz | |
| 51 | Groningen – Haren – Onnen – Noordlaren – Zuidlaren – Schuilingsoord – Annen – Gieten/Anloo – Gasteren – Loon – Assen | Qbuzz and CTS | No service between Onnen and Assen on evenings and weekends. |
| 83 | Assen – Ter Aard – Zeijen – Peest – Norg – Langelo – Alteveer – Roden – Nietap – Leek | Qbuzz and Taxi Nuis | |
| 84 | Heerenveen – Lijnjeberd – Tjalleberd – Tijnje – Nij Beets – Boornbergum – Drachten – Ureterp – Frieschepalen – Bakkeveen – Waskemeer – Haulerwijk – Een – Norg – Zuidvelde – Huis ter Heide – Assen | Arriva | On Saturdays and off-peak hours during school breaks, this bus only operates between Heerenveen and Drachten Transferium Oost if called one hour before its supposed departure ("belbus"). The rest of the route is operated normally. On evenings and Sundays, the entire route is operated as a "belbus". |
| 110 | Veendam – Wildervank – Bareveld – Gieten – Rolde – Assen | Qbuzz | |
| 114 | Leeuwarden – Garyp – Nijega – Drachten – Wijnjewoude – Donkerbroek – Oosterwolde – Appelscha – Hijkersmilde – Smilde – Bovensmilde – Assen | Arriva | Mon-Fri during daytime hours only. |
| 115 | Heerenveen – Oudeschoot – Mildam – Katlijk – Nieuwehorne – Oudehorne – Jubbega – Hoornsterzwaag – Donkerbroek – Oosterwolde – Appelscha – Hijkersmilde – Smilde – Bovensmilde – Assen | Arriva | |
| 419 | Groningen – Assen | Qbuzz | 2 runs during Friday late nights and 1x per hour during Saturday late nights. |