Oostende railway station

Oostende railway station (Dutch: Station Oostende, French: Gare d'Ostende, IATA code: ZGJ), officially Oostende, is a railway station in Ostend, West Flanders, Belgium. It is operated by the National Railway Company of Belgium (NMBS/SNCB).

Oostende
Railway Station
Oostende railway station
General information
LocationNatiënkaai,
8400 Ostend
Belgium
Coordinates51°13′44″N 2°55′33″E
Owned byNMBS/SNCB
Operated byNMBS/SNCB
Line(s)50A, Kusttram
Platforms5
Tracks8
History
Opened1838 (1838)
Rebuilt1913 (1913)
Electrified3 kV DC overhead on NMBS and 600 V DC overhead on the Kusttram.
Location
Oostende is located in Belgium
Oostende
Oostende
Location within Belgium
Oostende is located in Europe
Oostende
Oostende
Oostende (Europe)

History

The first station in Ostend was opened in 1838 during the reign of King Leopold I on the former Belgian railway line 62 to Torhout and is now a supermarket.

Photo of the original station building

The current station was opened in 1913 during the reign of King Albert I. It is designed to connect trains and ferries and is built with Scottish granite, bluestone from Soignies and limestone from Euville. It is constructed in a neoclassical style inspired by the French 18th-century architect François Mansart and the Louis XVI style.

The station was served by a daily Thalys high-speed rail service to Paris between 1998 and 31 March 2015.[1]

Train services

Oostende railway station is a major hub on the National Railway Company of Belgium (NMBS/SNCB) network with frequent InterCity trains serving Brugge railway station, Gent-Sint-Pieters, Brussels-South and Liège-Guillemins on Belgian railway line 50A. Connecting InterCity trains run to Antwerpen and Kortrijk.

The station is served by the following services:[2]

  • Intercity services Ostend - Bruges - Gent - Brussels - Leuven - Liege - Eupen
  • Intercity services Ostend - Bruges - Gent - Sint-Niklaas - Antwerpen
  • Intercity services Ostend - Bruges - Kortrijk - Zottegem - Brussels - Brussels Airport
Preceding station NMBS/SNCB Following station
Terminus IC 01 Brugge
towards Eupen
IC 02 Brugge
towards Antwerpen-Centraal
IC 23 Brugge
towards Brussels National Airport

Kusttram
Kusttram run by De Lijn

Ostend is a major hub on the Kusttram which is the coastal tramway run by De Lijn.

Cycling

To encourage cycling, the station has an extensive number of cycling racks.

Former ferries
Former Prinses Stephanie Jetfoil in the Port of Ostend approaching the terminal

Regie voor Maritiem Transport used to run services connecting to the Port of Dover connecting with Network SouthEast trains from Dover Western Docks to London Victoria and London Charing Cross stations. These ceased in 1994. In the past, ferries operated to Folkestone Harbour connecting with Folkestone Harbour station boat trains to London Victoria and London Charing Cross.

  • Exterior
    Exterior
  • Station interior
    Station interior
  • Train at station
    Train at station
  • Tracks near station
    Tracks near station

See also

References
  1. Smet, Dries De. "Thalys doet laatste keer Oostende en Namen aan". De Standaard (in Dutch).
  2. Belgian railways timetable brochures Archived 2015-02-05 at the Wayback Machine
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