De Transferversneller ('transfer accelerator'): the speediest way to skip through human traffic in Utrecht.

De Transferversneller ('transfer accelerator'): the speediest way to skip through human traffic in Utrecht.

PASSENGERS FEELING THE pressure trying to make it through the rush hour passenger traffic in the Dutch city of Utrecht – or, indeed, anyone who just wants to indulge their inner child – now has a unique new weapon at their disposal.

A refurbishment of the Overvecht station in the city has seen railway operators install a ‘Transferversneller’ (literally “transfer accelerator”) alongside its main steps, which promises to help speeding passengers cut through the foot traffic if they really need to.

So what form does this radical new option take? Well, it’s a medium that most of us will be familiar with…

…it’s a slide.

The designers HIK Ontwerpers hope that the new feature will not only help people to shave valuable seconds off their dash to the train, but also to restore a sense of fun to the daily commute.

[H/T to Iarnród Éireann's Twitter account, @IrishRail. Any chance of one in Connolly, folks?]