Antwerp-Linkeroever Railway Station will not being reopened any time soon. While the City of Antwerp would love a reopening to compensate the closure of the Scheldt tram tunnel (for renovation works), NMBS / SNCB has ruled out this option, Gazet van Antwerpen and Het Nieuwsblad report. 

Linkeroever station has been out of use for forty years, and that situation will not change any time soon.

In 2026, Flemish tram and bus operator De Lijn will close the pre-metro tunnel between Antwerp-Central Railway Station (Diamant) and Frederik Van Eedenplein for seven months to carry out major renovation works. 

As a result, alternatives are being explored for the thousands of tram passengers who cross the Scheldt daily. One of the proposed solutions was to reopen the long-abandoned Linkeroever station. During peak hours, around 1,700 tram passengers make the crossing, and under this plan, 640 of them could potentially switch to train travel.

While the new federal coalition agreement leaves the door open to a possible reopening, the NMBS / SNCB has made it clear that this is not an option in the short term.

A reopening of the station on the Left Bank is not possible in the short term. One reason is the limited remaining rail capacity on this line, which is already heavily used by both passenger and freight trains. The station on Linkeroever is also in a location that is difficult to access and relatively far from residential areas. Furthermore, Zwijndrecht Railway Station already provides smooth rail access for that area.

Longer term?

NMBS / SNCB does not rule out a reopening in the longer term. Any future decision will depend on broader transport plans and the criteria outlined in the public service contract NMBS / SNCB has signed.

The potential of a new stop, the existing service offering, and the current capacity of the rail infrastructure are among the factors that need to be assessed. These must be examined by rail network manager Infrabel.

In the meantime, De Lijn is preparing an alternative plan in case the train solution is not viable. This involves using the Waaslandtunnel exclusively for shuttle buses running every ten minutes in both directions. However, the Antwerp city council opposes any plan to close the Waaslandtunnel to private cars during the pre-metro tunnel works.

Federal Minister of Mobility Jean-Luc Crucke, of Les Engagés, is not currently involved in the matter. He notes that he has no authority over NMBS / SNCB investments, except through negotiations on the management contract.

Antwerp Alderman for Mobility Koen Kennis, of N-VA, expressed surprise at NMBS/ SNCB’s position and stressed the importance of reopening the station for the wider region. 

He said a fully-fledged Antwerp Regional Express Network is essential to keep the entire transport region accessible by train. That is why the city continues to press NMBS / SNCB for a stronger regional offer, with high-quality trains and stations.

The reopening of Linkeroever station fits perfectly within that vision. 

Although NMBS sees no short-term possibility for this, the city believes decisions must be made now. It will therefore continue to advocate for reopening Linkeroever station with the responsible authorities.

Meanwhile, behind the scenes, work is ongoing to find ways to minimise disruption during the pre-metro tunnel closure.

Our assessment

Talking to both Danny and Jeroen about the matter, both don’t see it happen. Jeroen compared it to Wolfstee. This station, not far from Herentals, is barely used. It’s served by one train per hour in each direction and isn’t used on weekends. 

Wolfstee (Wolfstead) opened in 2004 on the Line 15. The station was built to reduce the amount of car traffic heading to Antwerp while there was work completed on the Antwerp Ring. But it failed its purpose, really. 

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