The Velsen railway bridge

At the location where the ferry now links the north and south banks of the canal, there was a railway bridge during the war.

The railway bridge was particularly important because the Wehrmacht could use it to move large numbers of troops or vehicles in the event of an enemy breakthrough. Due to its strategic significance, the bridge was heavily defended on both sides, with German bunkers and artillery. The guns could target not only the access roads to the bridge but also shipping traffic on the canal. Any Allied force reaching this point via the locks and canal would face a “hot” reception.

In the later years of the war, trains no longer crossed the bridge, as it had lost its original function. Wooden planks were placed between the rails so that people could cross on foot. During the Hunger Winter of 1944–45, the bridge played an important role, allowing food seekers from Haarlem and other areas south of the canal to reach the northern farmland and farms.

The bridge itself served as a formidable defensive structure. When open, the Noordzeekanaal formed an almost insurmountable water obstacle. Allied troops would have had to cross the wide canal in boats or amphibious vehicles under heavy fire from the bunkers and defenses on the banks.

To prevent the bridge from falling into Allied hands, it was fully undermined. On orders of the Festung Kommandant, explosive charges beneath the bridge were to be detonated in the event of a threat.

The original ferry during the war was located near the village of Velsen-Zuid, slightly to the east. From this steam ferry, Prince Bernhard reportedly fired at a German fighter aircraft in May 1940, although without confirmed hits.