Turnhout railway station

Turnhout railway station (Dutch: Station Turnhout; French: Gare de Turnhout)^[a] is a railway station in Turnhout, Antwerp, Belgium. The station opened on 23 April 1855 and is located on railway line 29.^[1] The train services are operated by the National Railway Company of Belgium (NMBS/SNCB).^[2]

The station was opened in 1855 as part of the railway Turnhout — Herentals — Lier. The first station building was made of wood. It is not known who the architect was, and not a single photograph survived; only verbal descriptions and one lithograph made in 1888 exist. In 1862 a connection from Herentals to Leuven was opened, followed by a connection across the Dutch border to Tilburg (Bels Lijntje^[3]), and the old station building was judged too small to process the increased passenger traffic.^[1]

In 1896, the current building was constructed in the Renaissance Revival style from red bricks and limestone. The architect was E. de Rudder. The deck was moved here from Antwerpen Oost station.^{[1] [3]}

The opening of the station lead to the development of the surrounding area catering to tourists and travellers. In particular, a hotel, Grand Monarque, was built opposite to the station. It was eventually demolished in 1979.^[3]

The line to Tilburg lost the competition with bus companies and was closed in 1974. It was demolished and replaced by a bicycle path.^[3]

The station is served by the following services:

• Intercity services (IC-11) Binche - Braine-le-Comte - Halle - Brussels - Mechelen - Turnhout (weekdays)
• Intercity services (IC-30) Antwerp - Herentals - Turnhout

The following bus services stop near the station. They are operated by De Lijn.

• 1 (Zevendonk – Markt – Vosselaar – Beerse)
• 2 (Boomgaardplein – Markt – Station – Parkwijk)
• 200 (Turnhout – Vosselaar – Tielen – Kasterlee)
• 210 (Turnhout – Lille – Herentals)
• 212 (Turnhout – Gierle – Lichtaart – Herentals)
• 213 (Turnhout – Lille – Vorselaar – Grobbendonk)
• 305 (Turnhout – Herentals – Herselt – Aarschot – Leuven)
• 410 (Turnhout – Malle – Antwerpen)
• 415 (Turnhout – Beerse – Antwerpen) Express
• 416 (Turnhout – Wechelderzaande – Antwerpen) Express
• 417 (Turnhout – Zoersel – Antwerpen) Express
• 419 (Turnhout – Malle – Sint-Antonius – Zandhoven)
• 430 (Meersel-dreef – Hoogstraaten – Turnhout – Mol)
• 431 (Oud-Turnhout – Turnhout – Beerse – Rijkevorsel – Oostmalle)
• 432 (Oud-Turnhout – Turnhout – Merksplas – Rijkevorsel – Brecht)
• 433 (Turnhout – Beerse – Rijkevorsel – Hoogstraten)
• 434 (Turnhout – Beerse – Merksplas – Hoogstraten)
• 435 (Turnhout industrie – Beerse – Rijkevorsel – Hoogstraten)
• 436 (Turnhout – Retie – Donk – Achterbos – Mol)
• 437 (Turnhout – Retie – Achterbos – Mol via Boeretang)
• 450 (Turnhout – Poppel – Tilburg)
• 451 (Turnhout – Weelde Stenenbrug – Poppel)
• 460 (Turnhout – Baarle-Hertog)
• 480 (Turnhout AZ Sint-Jozef – Arendonk – Reusel)
• 490 (Turnhout – Geel – Westerlo – Herselt – Aarschot)
• 492 (Turnhout – Geel – Westerlo – Blauberg – Herselt – Aarschot)
• 942 (Belbus Turnhout – Oud-Turnhout – Vosselaar – Beerse)

• List of railway stations in Belgium
• Rail transport in Belgium

• Turnhout railway station at Belgian Railways website