Liège-Guillemins Railway StationLiège-Guillemins Railway Station (Gare de Liège-Guillemins)Liège-Guillemins railway station or in French: Gare de Liège-Guillemins, or in Dutch: Station Luik-Guillemins 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). Liège-Guillemins Railway Station History First Station (1842–1863) The choice to make Liège the crossing point of a railway goes back to the first sketches of the railway from Antwerp to the Rhine, drawn up just after the Belgian Revolution. A royal decree issued on 21 March 1832 mentions it and a law dated 1 May 1834 provides for the creation of four lines, including the "eastern line", from Mechelen to Liège and the Prussian border. In 1838, only three years after the first continental railway, a line linking Brussels and Ans, in the northern suburbs of Liège, was opened. With the arrival of the railway, Liège needed an interior station. In 1842, a wooden construction was erected on the site of the former convent of the Guillemites. This first Liège-Guillemins railway station was inaugurated in May 1842, linking the valley to the upper Ans station. The Guillemins site, located slightly outside the city centre, was chosen for technical reasons over the local preference for the Place Saint-Lambert. In 1843, the first international railway connection was born, linking Liège to Aachen and Cologne (Germany). Second and Third Stations (1863–2009) The Belgian State, choosing to go against the city authorities who demanded the relocation of the station to the city centre, built a new station in 1863 to replace the original wooden one. Its massive structure and its large French-style fan-shaped canopy illuminating the waiting room were its pride. The architect A.P.J. Lambeau, principal engineer for the Ministry of Railways, was particularly inspired by the buildings of the Gare du Nord and Gare de l'Est stations in Paris. Lambeau is also the architect of the Charleroi-Sud and Namur stations, restored in the 2000s. The station was modernised and improved in 1882 and in 1905 for the World's Fair in Liège. This Beaux-Arts station was replaced in 1958 by a much criticised "modern" International style building that was used until June 2009, a few months before the opening of the new Calatrava-designed station. The second station was completely demolished to allow the completion of the remaining sections of the new station. Liège-Guillemins Railway Station Current Station (2009–Present) At the end of the 20th century, high-speed trains were introduced, requiring a new station since the existing platforms were too small. The new station, by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, was officially opened on 18 September 2009, with a show by the stage director Franco Dragone. It has nine tracks and five platforms (three of 450 metres (1,480 ft) and two of 350 metres (1,150 ft)). All the tracks around the station have been modernised to allow high-speed arrival and departure. The new station is made of steel, glass and white concrete. It includes a monumental arch, 160 metres (520 ft) long and 32 metres (105 ft) high. The building costs were €312 million. The station is served by the following services:
The national trains to Brussels also use the high speed line at 200 km/h (120 mph), while Eurostar and ICE can go up to 300 km/h (190 mph) (connecting Brussels and Liège in 39 minutes). Liège-Guillemins Railway Station Overview Liège-Guillemins Railway Station Location: Place des Guillemins, 4000 Liège Belgium Liège-Guillemins Railway Station Coordinates: 50°37′29″N 5°34′01″E Liège-Guillemins Railway Station Owned By: SNCB/NMBS Liège-Guillemins Railway Station Operated By: SNCB/NMBS Liège-Guillemins Railway Station Line(s): 4, 34, 36, 37, 40, 43, 125 Liège-Guillemins Railway Station Platforms: 5 Liège-Guillemins Railway Station Tracks: 9 Liège-Guillemins Railway Station Architect: Santiago Calatrava Liège-Guillemins Railway Station IATA Code: XHN Liège-Guillemins Railway Station Opened: 1 May 1842 Liège-Guillemins Railway Station Rebuilt: 1863, 1882, 1905, 1958, 2009 Liège-Guillemins Railway Station Passengers: 2009 6.26 million | |||||
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