📋 Tender Overview
ProRail has named two railway bridges after two soldiers who died during their service. The bridge at the Laakboulevard now bears the name of Soldier 1st Class Christian van der Linden. The bridge at the Amsterdamseweg is named after Corporal Cor Strik.
Making it socially visible
On the initiative of the Foundation for the Coordination of 75 Years of Freedom, the Ministries of Defence and Infrastructure and Water Management have developed a plan together with the Veterans Platform. This gave rise to the idea of naming bridges and viaducts after soldiers who died during their deployment for peacekeeping missions, starting with the UN mission in Korea. This is to make visible soldiers who gave their lives for freedom in the recent past. This is an important project to which ProRail is happy to contribute.
Lasting memory
Two soldiers and residents of the municipality of Amersfoort also did not return home from a mission. With the consent of the next of kin and Prorail, the railway bridges have therefore been named. The railway bridge at the Laakboulevard will be named 'Soldier of the 1stclass Christian van der Linden'. The railway bridge at the Amsterdamseweg will be named 'Corporal Cor Strik'. In this way, these railway bridges offer a fitting and lasting reminder to those who have unconditionally committed themselves to the freedom and safety of others.
Ceremony
During a ceremony on 3 May at De Inktpot in Utrecht, the bridges were officially named on behalf of ProRail's regional director Harro Homan. In the presence of relatives and representatives of the Ministry of Defence and ProRail, this special moment was extensively commemorated. The bridges now serve as permanent tributes to Van der Linden and Strik. They honor their courage and sacrifice.
Christian van der Linden
Christian van der Linden, born on 19 May 1975 in Amersfoort and still living there at the time of his death. During his second deployment in Bosnia, Christian was killed on 11 February 1997. Together with eight colleagues, he was on a reconnaissance drive in a YPR (armoured vehicle) in the vicinity of Novi Travnik (Bosnia). The route the vehicle was on was covered in ice and mud due to the bad weather. During the ride, the armored vehicle suddenly began to slide. The vehicle plunged 150 meters down into a ravine. Two soldiers lost their lives, the seven other passengers were injured.
Local residents immediately rushed to the scene and provided help, but to no avail for Christian and his colleague. Christian was transferred to the Netherlands and buried at the Municipal Cemetery Rusthof in Amersfoort.
Cor Strik
Cor Strik, born on 30 December 1985 in Amersfoort and still living there at the time of his death. During his deployment in Afghanistan, the Corporal was killed in action on April 20, 2007. Cor was part of the Tiger Company of the eleventh Airmobile Brigade. On 20 April 2007, he and his colleagues were on a foot patrol in support of Operation Achilles. This operation was intended to enable reconstruction work on a power plant in the north of Helmand, among other things. During the patrol, Cor stepped on a landmine; He was killed instantly. Cor's remains were brought to the Netherlands and buried at the R.C. Cemetery O.L.V. in Amersfoort.
In 2020, Cor's parents asked for him to be exhumed and cremated. In collaboration with the Ministry of Defence, the War Graves Foundation and the Defence Salvage and Identification Service, Cor's remains were exhumed and cremated on 30 March 2021. The urn with his ashes is placed in a special place at home.
