Leuven railway station (Dutch : Station Leuven; French : Gare de Louvain) [lower-alpha 1] is the main railway station in Leuven, Flemish Brabant, Belgium. The station is operated by the National Railway Company of Belgium (NMBS/SNCB) and is located on railway line 36. [1] In 2007, it was the fifth-busiest station in Belgium, only preceded by the three main Brussels stations and Gent-Sint-Pieters railway station.
The station recently underwent extensive and costly renovations lasting several years. The square in front of the station houses a major bus terminal, as well as extensive bicycle and car parking. The station includes a tunnel which passes underneath the station for pedestrians, as well as an overhead bridge with elevators. The station is fully accessible for wheelchairs. [2]
While a high-speed line passes through the station, Leuven is not a stop on any high-speed route. Current expansion is limited because the station has reached the maximum set of rail and platforms possible, meaning any further expansion would require building an underground segment.
The station is served by the following services:
Brussels-Central railway station is a railway and metro station in central Brussels, Belgium. It is the second busiest railway station in Belgium and one of three principal railway stations in Brussels, together with Brussels-South and Brussels-North. First completed in 1952 after protracted delays caused by economic difficulties and World War II, it is the newest of Brussels' main rail hubs.
Brussels-South railway station is a major railway station in Brussels, Belgium. Geographically, it is located in Saint-Gilles/Sint-Gillis on the border with the adjacent municipality of Anderlecht and just south of the City of Brussels.
Gent-Sint-Pieters railway station is the main railway station in Ghent, East Flanders, Belgium, and the fourth-busiest in Belgium and busiest in Flanders, with 17.65 million passengers a year. The station is operated by the National Railway Company of Belgium (NMBS/SNCB).
Antwerpen-Centraal railway station is the main railway station in Antwerp, Belgium. It is one of the most important hubs in the country and is one of the four Belgian stations on the high-speed rail network. From 1873 to early 2007, it was a terminal station. The current building, designed by the architect Louis Delacenserie, was constructed between 1895 and 1905. On 23 March 2007, a tunnel with two continuous tracks was opened under part of the city and under the station. The train services are operated by the National Railway Company of Belgium (NMBS/SNCB).
Liège-Guillemins railway station is the main station in Liège, Belgium. It is one of the most important hubs in the country and is one of the four Belgian stations on the high-speed rail network. The station is used by 15,000 people every day, which makes it the eleventh-busiest station in Belgium and the third in Wallonia. It is operated by the National Railway Company of Belgium (SNCB/NMBS).
Brussels-North railway station is one of the three major railway stations in Brussels, Belgium; the other two are Brussels-Central and Brussels-South. Every regular domestic and international train passing there has a planned stop. The station has 200,000 passengers per week, mainly commuters, making it one of the busiest in Belgium.
Kortrijk railway station is the main railway station in Kortrijk, West Flanders, Belgium. The station was first inaugurated on 22 September 1839. With around 10,000 passengers per day, Kortrijk is the fifteenth-busiest railway station in Belgium, and the second in West Flanders. It is operated by the National Railway Company of Belgium (NMBS/SNCB).
Brussels Airport-Zaventem railway station is a railway station located beneath Brussels Airport in Zaventem, Flemish Brabant, Belgium. The station opened in 1958 on railway line 36C; in 2012, the new line 25N was added. It was formerly called Brussels-National-Airport railway station until April 2016. The train services are operated by the National Railway Company of Belgium (NMBS/SNCB).
Braine-le-Comte railway station is a railway station in Braine-le-Comte, Hainaut, Belgium. The station opened on 31 October 1841 and is located on railway lines 96, 117 and 123. The train services are operated by the National Railway Company of Belgium (SNCB/NMBS).
Antwerpen-Berchem railway station is a railway station in Berchem, in the south of Antwerp, Belgium. The station opened on 1 March 1865 and currently serves railway lines 25, 27, 27A and 59. The train services are operated by the National Railway Company of Belgium (NMBS/SNCB).
Lier is a railway station in Lier, Antwerp, Belgium. The station opened in 1855 on the Line 13 and Line 15. Until 1988 the station was also on 205, when this line closed.
Mechelen railway station is a railway station in Mechelen, Antwerp, Belgium. The station opened on 5 May 1835 on railway lines 25, 27 and 53. The train services are operated by the National Railway Company of Belgium (NMBS/SNCB).
Sint-Niklaas railway station is a railway station in Sint-Niklaas, East Flanders, Belgium. The original station opened on 3 November 1844 on railway line 59. The current station was built in 1972 by the architects Ludwig Van Wilder and Omer De Grootte. The train services are operated by the National Railway Company of Belgium (NMBS/SNCB).
Halle railway station is a railway station in Halle, Flemish Brabant, Belgium. The station opened on 18 May 1840 and is located on the HSL 1, as well as railway lines 26, 94, and 96. The train services are operated by the National Railway Company of Belgium (NMBS/SNCB).
Aarschot railway station is a railway station in Aarschot, Flemish Brabant, Belgium. The station opened on 28 February 1863 and is located on railway line 35. The train services are operated by the National Railway Company of Belgium (NMBS/SNCB).
Hasselt railway station is a railway station in Hasselt, Limburg, Belgium. The station opened on 24 October 1843 and it is located at 21 Stationsplein. It is served by railway lines 15, 21, 21A, 34 and 35. The train services are operated by the National Railway Company of Belgium (NMBS/SNCB).
Braine-l'Alleud railway station is a railway station in Braine-l'Alleud, Walloon Brabant, Belgium, operated by the National Railway Company of Belgium (SNCB/NMBS). The station is located on railway line 124, from Brussels-South to Charleroi-Central.
Denderleeuw railway station is a railway station in Denderleeuw, East Flanders, Belgium. The station opened on 7 April 1855 and is located on railway lines 50, 89 and 90. The train services are operated by the National Railway Company of Belgium (NMBS/SNCB).
Tienen railway station is a railway station in Tienen, Flemish Brabant, Belgium. The station opened on 22 September 1837 and is located on railway line 36. The train services are operated by the National Railway Company of Belgium (NMBS/SNCB).
