Gent-Sint-Pieters railway station

Geschiedenis

Gent-Sint-Pieters is the main railway station in Ghent, Belgium and—depending upon the measure used—the second- or third-busiest railway station in Belgium. Its NMBS/SNCB internal code is FGSP.HistoryThe origins of the railway station is a small station on the line Ghent-Ostend in 1881. At that time the main railway station of Ghent was the South railway station built in 1837. At the occasion of the 1913 world exhibition in Ghent, a new Sint-Pieters railway station was built. It was designed by architect Louis Cloquet and finished in 1912 just before the World Exhibition.The station is built in an eclectic style with a long corridor dividing the building in its length which provides access to diverse facilities. A tunnel (designed by ir. P. Grondy) starting from the entrance hall provides access to the 12 platforms. This gives the station its cross-form design. The original waiting rooms for second and third class now serve as a buffet and restaurant.The station was classified in 1995. In 1996 the station was renovated, with the renovation of the interior of the western wing completed in 1998.In the middle of 2007 the project entered a new phase to make the station more customer-oriented. The work is planned to be completed by 2022. This eventually will lead to the removal of several period features that are not part of the classified main building, like the platform canopies, waiting rooms, and the tunnel by P. Grondy.In 2007, the tower at the entrance of the station has been renovated. In 2008 a new glass canopy was placed at the main entrance. In 2010, the murals of the main entrance hall have been renovated.