Namur station: the Chiny entrance opens to passengers

The entrance via the Chiny wing of Namur station is now open to passengers: a new milestone in the total redevelopment works of the station site! This entrance will allow users to directly access the station from the main commercial artery of the city center, or to quickly catch a TEC bus at the new bus station, which has been operational since March 1st on the roof of the SNCB station.

In 2015, SNCB embarked on extensive works throughout the entire Namur station site. The passenger floor is now completely renovated: the surface area has been doubled and redesigned to improve passenger circulation and comfort, with a new waiting room, renovated concessions, new public toilets, and a new sales, reception, and information area, open daily, notably from 5:45 am to 8:30 pm on weekdays. Large diamond-shaped openings in the roof now provide pleasant brightness throughout the station. New facades have also been installed.

The renovation works for access via the Chiny wing are now completed: this new entrance will allow some users to easily reach the passenger floor from the East side of the station (main commercial artery), or to quickly access the bus station opened since early March, now located on the roof of Namur station. The entrance via the Chiny wing is equipped with two escalators and an elevator to allow everyone to access it, including people with reduced mobility. SNCB has invested 2.5 million euros in the renovation of this entrance.

SNCB was also the delegated project manager for the works carried out for TEC, and thus led the construction and completion of the bus station on the roof of its station building, and the construction of the access bridge from Place Leopold, which entered service in early March 2023. This excellent collaboration in the implementation of the TEC footbridge now allows smooth and direct transition between the bus station, the passenger floor, and the platforms, thus improving intermodality for commuters who combine train and bus travel.

"The opening of the Chiny wing is a new step in the renovation of Namur station. The capital of Wallonia will thus be among the best examples of a multimodal station, with its bus station on the roof, but also the creation of cycling paths and bicycle parking spaces, which is an urgent necessity, included in SNCB's projects. Being able to take the train arriving or departing on foot, by bike, or by public transport should be even easier and more natural for future travelers. Multimodality is the mobility of the future!" - Georges Gilkinet, Minister of Mobility.

"Namur station, which welcomes 21,000 passengers every day and is served by 400 trains daily, is becoming increasingly modern, accessible, and intermodal. Today's opening of the entrance via Chiny Boulevard is a major milestone in the extensive works being carried out: after a completely renovated passenger floor and improved intermodality thanks to the bus station operating on the roof of our station, circulation will now be smoother in the station by allowing passengers direct access to the main artery, also improving their comfort" - Sophie Dutordoir, CEO of SNCB.

"The commissioning of the TEC bus station on the roof of the SNCB station is an example of intermodality, reinforced today by the opening of the entrance via the Chiny wing from the main commercial artery of the city of Namur. This reflects our desire to increase this bus-train complementarity, essential to convince more citizens to choose public transport" - Jean-Michel SOORS, General Manager of TEC.

"For many years, the City of Namur has been investing in the redevelopment of the northern part of the Corbeille, and more specifically the station district. In spring 2024, in addition to the multimodal station project and the opening of the Chiny wing, the redevelopment of Place de la Station and Boulevard Ernest Mélot will improve the mobility of station users by promoting active and shared modes and interconnecting surrounding networks (trains, buses, taxis, cars, bicycles, and pedestrians)" - Stéphanie Scailquin, Alderwoman in charge of Urban Planning and Mobility, and Luc Gennart, Alderman of Roads and Public Facilities of the City of Namur.

Namur station has 21,000 passengers per day taking trains on weekdays, totaling approximately 42,000 passages including commuter returns, not counting people who pass through the station without taking the train, such as local residents or neighboring workers who pass through for shopping purposes. 400 trains serve Namur station every weekday.