Antwerpen-Linkeroever train station reopens after 42 years
After 42 years of closure, the Antwerpen-Linkeroever train station reopened its doors on Saturday. The station has been brought back into temporary service to offer commuters an alternative crossing between the city's left and right banks during major works on the tram tunnel under the Scheldt.
The new stop is located on Katwilgweg, on the same site where trains stopped until 1984. Some of the original infrastructure has been retained, though much of it has been renovated. The station has seating areas and shelters, lighting, CCTV and a digital information screen, as well as tactile paving and guide lines for visually impaired passengers.
"The opening of the station gives residents and visitors to Linkeroever an additional public transport connection to the city and the region," said Antwerp's Mobility and Public Works alderman Koen Kennis.
Permanent reopening possible
Several politicians have made clear they would like to see the station remain in service beyond the works period. Prime minister Bart De Wever is reported to have called a last-minute cabinet meeting to address the questions surrounding the station's future.
But keeping the station open permanently is far from straightforward, SNCB warns. The station sits on one of Belgium's busiest rail corridors, used by both passenger and freight services, and there is not much room for another stop. It is also difficult to reach for people with reduced mobility, and located far from the centre of the Linkeroever neighbourhood.
Construction works on the tram tunnel begin on 4 May and are expected to run until the end of March next year.
#FlandersNewsService | PHOTO © SNCB
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