Digging deep: Antwerp Central station

Antwerp Central Station (Antwerpen-Centraal in Dutch) sits east of the historic city of Antwerp just outside of the former fortifications on the edge of Borgerhout. Originally a through station was built here as Station Borgerhout (1836), but as the city expanded is was changed into a terminus station (1873) as the ground level railway to the Netherlands was too disruptive and was replaced by an elevated railway that looped round the city. Between 1895 and 1905 a new station building was erected designed by Louis Delacenserie in an eclectic mix of revival styles. Behind the main building topped with an impressive dome lay the vast trainshed, designed by Clement van Bogaert in iron and glass, that covered the platforms.

Between 1998 and 2007 Antwerp Central station was converted into a through station by excavating a 3,800 m long, double train tunnel from Luchtbal via Dam to Berchem that ran underneath the existing station. Now high-speed and international trains no longer had to turn at Berchem. With the addition of two new underground level the new station has 4 levels. The original station with 6 platforms is on Level +1. The ticket hall and shopping centre are on Level 0. Level -1 is at 7 m below street level and has 4 platforms for domestic intercity trains. The high-speed trains stop at the through tracks at level -2 at 18 m below street level. The 4 platforms on this level are also used for fast domestic services and international trains to Germany, France and The Netherlands.

The eclectic facade of the station building as seen from the trainshed at Level +1 (left) gives an impression of the old situation. At Level -2 one gets an idea of how the new station has been inserted underneath the old station. A central void re-establishes the relationship with the old station higher up. The central void allows impressive vista's not only towards the old station building but also of the new infrastructure underneath the old trainshed roof (right).