Brugge railway station

Not to be confused with Brig railway station or Brugg railway station.

Brugge
Railway Station
File:Brugge Station R01.jpg
Location	Stationsplein, Bruges
Coordinates
Owned by	National Railway Company of Belgium
Line(s)	50A (Brussels-Ostend) 51 (Bruges-Blankenberge) 66 (Bruges-Kortrijk)
Platforms	5 island platforms
Tracks	10
Other information
Station code	FR
History
Opened	12 August 1838 (1838-08-12)
Traffic
Passengers (2014)	18,122

File:1803 Bruges2.jpg

NMBS Class 18 (Siemens) in Brugge Centraal.

Station Brugge (French: Gare de Bruges) is the main railway station in Bruges, West Flanders, Belgium. The station opened on 12 August 1838 on the 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 NMBS/SNCB.

History

The railway arrived in Bruges in 1838 when the Ghent to Bruges railway was opened, with King Leopold I and Queen Louise-Marie. 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 in 1844, designed by Auguste Payen. The railway to Kortijk 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. The new station building was completed in 1886, designed by Joseph Schadde.

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

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		Following station
Oostende Terminus		IC 01		Gent-Sint-Pieters toward Eupen
Oostende Terminus		IC 02		Gent-Sint-Pieters toward Antwerpen-Centraal
Blankenberge Terminus		IC 03		Aalter toward Genk
Heist toward Knokke		IC 03
Oostende Terminus		IC 23		Zedelgem toward Brussels National Airport
Terminus		IC 23A		Aalter toward Brussels National Airport
Terminus		IC 32		Zedelgem toward Kortrijk
Brugge-Sint-Pieters toward Zeebrugge-Dorp		L 02 weekdays		Oostkamp toward Mechelen
Brugge-Sint-Pieters toward Zeebrugge-Strand		L 02 weekends		Oostkamp toward Gent-Sint-Pieters

External links

• Media related to at Wikimedia Commons
• Belgian Railways website for Brugge