Schaerbeek Station
Schaerbeek station opened in 1864. The first station building was a simple wooden house built in a rural area of Brussels. In 1887, the wooden building was replaced with a stone building designed by the architect Franz Seulen in Flemish Neo-Renaissance style. This constitutes the left wing of the current station. In 1913, plans were made to extend the building considerably by adding the current right wing. The plans for this second phase were probably also drawn by Franz Seulen, in Flemish Neo-Renaissance style. Construction had to be postponed due to the First World War. The new wing was built just after the war. The building was listed by royal decree on 10th November 1994. Since 2015, Schaerbeek station has been an integral part of Train World.
Antwerp Central Station
The first stations of Antwerp, “Borgerhout” and “Antwerp East” (1854), both made of wood, were close to today’s station. At the end of the 19th century, work began on the current station, designed by architect Louis Dela Censerie in an eclectic style. The steel and glass roof was created by the engineer Clément Van Bogaert. Work took place from 1895 to 1905. The new station was called “Antwerpen-Centraal”. Over the years, several modifications have been made. In 1975, despite its poor condition, the building became listed and required extensive restoration, which began in 1986. From 1998 to 2007, a “North-South” tunnel was dug under the city to transform the terminus station into a passing station, allowing high-speed trains to continue their route to the Netherlands. New spaces and new underground tracks were added.
Brussels-Central Station
Brussels-Central Station is one of the last major achievements of Victor Horta, the iconic architect of Art Nouveau. It was part of the ambitious North-South connection project, an idea dating back to the 19th century. Victor Horta made the first plans for the station in 1913, but the execution of the final project did not start until 1937. The construction site was tricky due to the terrain and the historical and economic context. Works were completed by Maxime Brunfaut, a former student of Victor Horta. The latter died in 1947 without seeing his project finished!
Only on 4th October 1952, King Baudouin ceremoniously opened the North-South connection.
The station was partly listed in 1995 and restoration work began. The mezzanine and access to the platforms were enlarged and rearranged; a new access route was opened towards Mont des Arts, and lighting in the underground passage was improved with a natural light well.
Liège-Guillemins Station
A monumental station was inaugurated in 1864 in the Guillemins district. In French Neo-Renaissance style, it was designed by the architect Lambeau, inspired by the Gare de l’Est in Paris. Unlike the Paris stations, however, Liège-Guillemins was a passing station and not a terminus. Over time, the station was enlarged, but in 1960 it was finally replaced with a modern and functional building.
In 1987, the idea came about to join Liège to the European high-speed network. The station therefore had to be moved and redesigned to meet new safety, speed, comfort and multi-modality requirements. Following an international competition, the Spanish architect and engineer Santiago Calatrava was appointed in 1996 to design the plans. He opted for a daring white concrete structure, topped with a steel and glass dome. The station has no traditional façade and became thus a central hub for connections between high-speed trains, internal service trains, buses, taxis and even road traffic. The town planning permit was issued in 2000 and the station was inaugurated in 2009.
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