In spite of what the new train station did to Amsterdam's relationship to its heritage and the sea, you cannot dismiss it's importance to the community. This is the central hub of activity in the city. It is where commuter, regional, and international trains arrive and depart. It is also the central staging area for the city's busses and tram network. There is virtually no point of The Netherlands that cannot be reached from the Centraal Station. In order to handle such a vast transportation network (more than 1500 trains daily), the station had to be big. So big on Amsterdam's shifting soil that it takes 8,600 pilings to keep the building stable. Outside, the red stone exterior is decorated with carvings, spires, and what appear to be a pair of clocks. One is indeed a chronometer. The other is a read-out for the wind vane on top of the station. While totally impractical in this time of motorized transportation, it is a nice homage to the city's seafaring past. About the only bad thing you can say about the building is it's unfortunate location. Built on the banks of the IJ river at the head of the Damrak out of necessity, it insulates the city from the open water. But at the same time, it has had the effect of allowing the city core to turn inward on itself rather than losing focus as has happened in so many other cities.