Leuven railway station
Leuven is the main railway station in the Belgian city of Leuven, in Flemish Brabant. The station is operated by the national railway company NMBS and is located on railway line 36.
Leuven | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Railway Station | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Martelarenplein, 3000 Leuven | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 50.8814°N 4.7157°E | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owned by | National Railway Company of Belgium | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 22 September 1837 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Services | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
  Leuven Location in Belgium  Leuven Location in Europe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 station square houses a major bus terminal as well as extensive bicycle parking 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.
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 Leuven station has reached the maximum set of rail and platforms possible, meaning any further expansion would require building an underground segment.
The station is noted for a high occurrence of suicides and accidental death, much higher than the national average.
Train services
The station is served by the following services:
- Intercity services (IC-01) Ostend - Bruges - Ghent - Brussels - Leuven - Liege - Welkenraedt - Eupen
- Intercity services (IC-03) Knokke/Blankenberge - Bruges - Ghent - Brussels - Leuven - Hasselt - Genk
- Intercity services (IC-08) Antwerp - Mechelen - Brussels Airport - Leuven - Hasselt
- Intercity services (IC-09) Antwerp - Lier - Aarschot - Leuven (weekdays)
- Intercity services (IC-12) Kortrijk - Ghent - Brussels - Leuven - Liege - Welkenraedt (weekdays)
- Intercity services (IC-14) Quiévrain - Mons - Braine-le-Comte - Brussels - Leuven - Liege (weekdays)
- Intercity services (IC-21) Ghent - Dendermonde - Mechelen - Leuven (weekdays)
- Intercity services (IC-29) De Panne - Ghent - Aalst - Brussels - Brussels Airport - Leuven - Landen
- Local services (L-03) Leuven - Aarschot - Diest - Hasselt (weekends)
- Local services (L-20) Sint-Niklaas – Mechelen – Leuven (weekdays)
- Local services (L-20) Mechelen - Leuven (weekends)
- Local services (L-23) Antwerp - Lier - Aarschot - Leuven
- Brussels RER services (S2) Braine-le-Comte - Halle - Brussels - Leuven
- Brussels RER services (S9) Braine-l'Alleud - Etterbeek - Brussels-Luxembourg - Leuven (weekdays, peak hours only)
- Brussels RER services (S20) Leuven - Wavre - Ottignies
Accidents and incidents
References
- Morley, Nicole. "One dead and dozens injured as train derails outside station in Belgium". Metro. Associated Newspapers Ltd. Retrieved 18 February 2017.
- "Trein ontspoord in Leuven: 1 dode en 19 lichtgewonden" [Train derailed in Leuve: 1 dead and 19 lightly wounded] (in Dutch). De Redactie. Retrieved 18 February 2017.
