Netherlands architects along with the ProRail railway network there are working together to create temporary bus stations they say will make waiting for transport a lot more tolerable for its ticketholders.

The Barneveld Noord Station is the first of the re-imagined NL bus stations that is constructed out of four recycled shipping containers – with one ISO box turned on its end to form a vertical clock tower.

The new initiative to improve small to medium-sized NL bus stations is a result of surveys that revealed people felt like they’re waiting about three times longer for their ride than they actually were.

To improve the waiting experience, the Dutch have initiated a new campaign entitled “prettig wachten” which translates to “pleasant waiting.”

The normally unmanned bus stations will be upgraded to include a small business on-site. For the Barneveld Noord stop, there’s a bicycle repair shop on the ground floor. For another NL station, a small flower shop is planned. The employees will also double as cleanup crews for the bus stations. Other planned upgrades to help make the wait time go by faster for passengers include washrooms, Wi-Fi service, heated floors, railway TV and artwork.

In the Barneveld Noord structure, three of the shipping containers form a roof above the waiting room. One container has an open bottom to create a double-height space. The other two containers remain sealed and are used for overhead storage.

The most striking feature of the bus station is probably the clock tower – a shipping container turned on its end and rising straight up 12 meters. On the tower is a working clock as well as an interesting weather vane – it’s a gilded chicken instead of a rooster to symbolise Barneveld’s history as the egg capital of the Netherlands. On the ground level of a tower is a public bathroom with a skylight.

The Dutch have designed a really attractive bus station out of shipping containers and added some great amenities that should make waiting for the next transport much more enjoyable than a hard bench.