Brugge railway station

Brugge railway station (Dutch: Station Brugge, French: Gare de Bruges), officially Brugge, is the main railway station in Bruges, West Flanders, Belgium. The station opened on 12 August 1838 on railway lines 50A, 51 and 66. The current building has been in use since 1939. The station is one of the busiest in Belgium. Train services are operated by the National Railway Company of Belgium (NMBS/SNCB).

Brugge
Railway Station
Brugge railway station
General information
LocationStationsplein,
8000 Bruges
Belgium
Coordinates51°11′50″N 3°13′2″E
Owned byNMBS/SNCB
Operated byNMBS/SNCB
Line(s)50A (Brussels-Ostend)
51 (Bruges-Blankenberge)
66 (Bruges-Kortrijk)
Platforms5 island platforms
Tracks12 (1 head track)
Other information
Station codeFR
History
Opened12 August 1838 (1838-08-12)
Passengers
201418,122 per day
Location
Brugge is located in Belgium
Brugge
Brugge
Location within Belgium
Brugge is located in Europe
Brugge
Brugge
Brugge (Europe)
NMBS Class 18 (Siemens) in Brugge Centraal
Interior of the station

History

The railway arrived in Bruges in 1838 when the Ghent to Bruges railway was opened, with King Leopold I and Queen Louise-Marie. The line was closer to the city centre than it is today, passing through the large square 't Zand within the medieval walls. A couple of weeks later the Bruges to Ostend railway was opened. In the first 6 years of its existence there was no station building, this opened on 't Zand in 1844, designed by Auguste Payen. The railway to Kortrijk opened in 1846–1857 and lines to Eeklo and Blankenberge in 1863. The result of the success of the railways was that the station was too small. In 1879 the building was demolished and reconstructed at Ronse, where it still stands today. After completion in Ronse, it became apparent that the building had been accidentally rebuilt backwards, causing the front to face to tracks instead of the street. A new station building was completed in 1886, designed by Joseph Schadde.

Work started on the present-day railway alignment outside the city walls in 1910, but it was abandoned during the First World War and not completed until 1936. The current station building, designed in the International Style by the brothers Josse and Maurice Van Kriekinge, opened in 1938. The 1886 station remained, derelict, on 't Zand throughout the Second World War, before its eventual demolition in 1948.[1]

The station was served by a daily Thalys high-speed rail service to Paris between 1998 and 31 March 2015.[2]

Modernisation

In 2007, the station was the 10th busiest station in Belgium and there was a large increase in passengers expected over the coming years. In 2004, a modernisation and expansion of the station started. The tunnel under the platforms was expanded by 12 metres, allowing more space for passengers and small shops. Access to the platforms was improved with new stairs, escalators and lifts. The works were completed in May 2009. Behind the station, an underground car park for 800 cars and 1000 bikes was completed in 2010.

Train services

The station is served by the following services:

  • Intercity services (IC-01) Ostend - Bruges - Ghent - Brussels - Leuven - Liege - Eupen
  • Intercity services (IC-02) Ostend - Bruges - Ghent - Sint-Niklaas - Antwerpen
  • Intercity services (IC-03) Knokke/Blankenberge - Bruges - Ghent - Brussels - Leuven - Genk
  • Intercity services (IC-23) Ostend - Bruges - Kortrijk - Zottegem - Brussels - Brussels Airport
  • Intercity services (IC-23A) Bruges - Ghent - Brussels - Brussels Airport (weekdays)
  • Intercity services (IC-32) Bruges - Roeselare - Kortrijk
  • Local services (L-02) Zeebrugge - Bruges – Ghent – Dendermonde – Mechelen (weekdays)
  • Local services (L-02) Zeebrugge - Bruges – Ghent (weekends)
Preceding station NMBS/SNCB Following station
Oostende
Terminus
IC 01 Gent-Sint-Pieters
towards Eupen
IC 02 Gent-Sint-Pieters
Blankenberge
Terminus
IC 03 Aalter
towards Genk
Heist
towards Knokke
Oostende
Terminus
IC 23 Zedelgem
Terminus IC 23A Aalter
IC 32 Zedelgem
towards Kortrijk
Brugge-Sint-Pieters
towards Zeebrugge-Dorp
L 02
weekdays
Oostkamp
towards Mechelen
Brugge-Sint-Pieters
towards Zeebrugge-Strand
L 02
weekends
Oostkamp

See also

References

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