BELGIUM | Railways

***hkskyline*** · May 13th, 2005, 08:39 PM

Transport strikes spark havoc in Belgium

BRUSSELS, May 13 (AFP) - Strikes over management cost-cutting plans and wages by train and bus drivers created traffic chaos in Belgium on Friday and disrupted major services to London and Paris, union officials said.

In Brussels, Eurostar trains to London and high-speed Thalys trains to Paris stopped running from mid-morning.

A strike had been scheduled for the afternoon, but union officials said an incident between an angry passenger and a rail service employee made them bring their planned two-hour stoppage from midday forward.

Regular SNCB state services from other major cities to the capital had stopped running at midnight, but began slowly returning to normal after 2:00 p.m. (1200 GMT), a spokeswoman said.

Marc Heinen from the CSC union said the strike is over a new "management contract" which the unions believe could result in the loss of some 2000 jobs.

Bus drivers in towns including Charleroi, Verviers, Nivelles and Lasne also held stoppages on Friday aimed at pushing through new wage claims.

patroeski · December 28th, 2006, 10:14 PM

The new station has been relocated 150 metres nearer the Meuse than the current building. The aim of this is to build rectilinear platforms to make entering the station and boarding trains easier. Of the present 13 platforms, only 9 will remain and the 5. 8-metre wide platforms will be particularly spacious and convenient. Three of them, 450 metres long, will be able to accommodate double unit Thalys trains.
The station will essentially be on three levels: travel centre and subway, platforms, and lastly the footbridges.
From the subway, the platforms can be accessed via stairs, escalators and glass elevators. From the footbridges, they are accessed via stairs and escalators. Travelators [moving walkways] located on the Meuse side, convey passengers effortlessly from the platforms towards the footbridges.

Movie:

Progress:

Brendan · December 28th, 2006, 10:33 PM

Very interesting design, thankyou for posting this.

officedweller · December 28th, 2006, 10:50 PM

Nice!
The roof design looks to have been changed from the model shown in the first picture..

patroeski · December 28th, 2006, 11:27 PM

Here are some more pics:

image hosted on flickr

image hosted on flickr

http://i1.trekearth.com/photos/24143/gare06.jpg

Here is a 360° panoramic view (you can also watch it fullscreen): http://geoimages.berkeley.edu/worldw...Hamblenne.html

Bitxofo · December 29th, 2006, 03:01 AM

Wonderful transformation!!

I lived in Liège in 1995 and this was Liège Guillemins station until 2002:

What a difference...

mr.x · December 29th, 2006, 03:35 AM

It does look amazing.......but it's also getting tiring. Everything Calatrava designs is basically the same style......from the tower in Chicago, NYC World Trade Centre station, OAKA in Athens, etc.

DrT · December 29th, 2006, 04:01 AM

Thnx for posting patroeski.
Really makes one believe that we have moved into the 21'st century.
Makes me feel like we are in the stone age here in the US. We do not have TGV's, much less train stations that look like that.

patroeski · December 29th, 2006, 04:53 AM

no problem, I didn't know they don't got high-speed trains in the US.

sweek · December 29th, 2006, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bitxofo

Wonderful transformation!!

I lived in Liège in 1995 and this was Liège Guillemins station until 2002:

What a difference...

Haha yes, it certainly is a big improvement. I think it's a bit too much for what it is though, which probably has a lot to do with the strange percentage rules of what has to be spent in Wallonia compared to what's spent in Flanders.
This station only gets 36.000 passengers a day, which really isn't that much.

lpioe · December 29th, 2006, 08:13 PM

You can clearly see it's a Calatrava

I like it a lot.
Is this station only for high speed trains?

sweek · December 29th, 2006, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lpioe

You can clearly see it's a Calatrava

I like it a lot.
Is this station only for high speed trains?

No, it is the main station for the city, all trains go there.
I think there's only a high speed train every hour(?)

eusebius · December 30th, 2006, 12:51 AM

The first station built in Lièges looked much better than the modern one that's currently being replaced by the Calatrava designed one.

Lièges is tied to the TGV network as well as to the ICE network Given its size, Lièges is well connected.

Brice · December 30th, 2006, 01:32 AM

Calatrava is so boring, always the same design!

patroeski · December 30th, 2006, 02:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brice

Calatrava is so boring, always the same design!

He always makes his buildings in the same style, but his designs are never the same.

Songoten2554 · December 30th, 2006, 09:30 AM

so what his design is awsome i like his design its his signature style in a way its futuristic

patroeski · December 30th, 2006, 02:40 PM

I didn't say its bad that an architect has his own style, on the contrary, he has created a style that no architect ever had before.

CharlieP · December 30th, 2006, 03:20 PM

Aaargh! Another off-topic thread in Subways and Urban Transport! I think I'm going to have to start a petition...

micro · December 30th, 2006, 03:30 PM

There's not much variation, that's true.

Bitxofo · December 30th, 2006, 06:27 PM

He has his own style and it works everywhere and many people like it!

Why should he change it?

May 13th, 2005, 08:39 PM	#1
*hkskyline* Hong Kong Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 71,053 Likes (Received): 841	BELGIUM \| Railways Transport strikes spark havoc in Belgium BRUSSELS, May 13 (AFP) - Strikes over management cost-cutting plans and wages by train and bus drivers created traffic chaos in Belgium on Friday and disrupted major services to London and Paris, union officials said. In Brussels, Eurostar trains to London and high-speed Thalys trains to Paris stopped running from mid-morning. A strike had been scheduled for the afternoon, but union officials said an incident between an angry passenger and a rail service employee made them bring their planned two-hour stoppage from midday forward. Regular SNCB state services from other major cities to the capital had stopped running at midnight, but began slowly returning to normal after 2:00 p.m. (1200 GMT), a spokeswoman said. Marc Heinen from the CSC union said the strike is over a new "management contract" which the unions believe could result in the loss of some 2000 jobs. Bus drivers in towns including Charleroi, Verviers, Nivelles and Lasne also held stoppages on Friday aimed at pushing through new wage claims. __________________ Hong Kong Photo Gallery - Click Here for the Hong Kong Galleries World Photo Gallery - \| New York \| London \| Egypt \| Dubai \| Shanghai \| Xian \| Tokyo \| Kyoto \| Prague Beijing, Seoul, Taipei, Mumbai, Iceland, Sydney, Rocky Mountains, Toronto, and much more!

December 28th, 2006, 10:14 PM	#2
patroeski Registered User Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Leuven, Brussels Posts: 614 Likes (Received): 0	Calatrava's new TGV Liège-Guillemins station - Belgium The new station has been relocated 150 metres nearer the Meuse than the current building. The aim of this is to build rectilinear platforms to make entering the station and boarding trains easier. Of the present 13 platforms, only 9 will remain and the 5. 8-metre wide platforms will be particularly spacious and convenient. Three of them, 450 metres long, will be able to accommodate double unit Thalys trains. The station will essentially be on three levels: travel centre and subway, platforms, and lastly the footbridges. From the subway, the platforms can be accessed via stairs, escalators and glass elevators. From the footbridges, they are accessed via stairs and escalators. Travelators [moving walkways] located on the Meuse side, convey passengers effortlessly from the platforms towards the footbridges. Movie: Progress: Last edited by patroeski; February 15th, 2010 at 02:16 AM.

December 28th, 2006, 10:50 PM	#4
officedweller Registered User Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Vancouver Posts: 1,340 Likes (Received): 0	Nice! The roof design looks to have been changed from the model shown in the first picture.. __________________ officedweller

December 28th, 2006, 11:27 PM	#5
patroeski Registered User Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Leuven, Brussels Posts: 614 Likes (Received): 0	Here are some more pics: image hosted on flickr image hosted on flickr image hosted on flickr http://i1.trekearth.com/photos/24143/gare06.jpg Here is a 360° panoramic view (you can also watch it fullscreen): http://geoimages.berkeley.edu/worldw...Hamblenne.html Last edited by patroeski; December 29th, 2006 at 04:57 AM.

December 29th, 2006, 03:35 AM	#7
mr.x Ex-mod Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: █♣█ Vancouver Posts: 8,072 Likes (Received): 1	It does look amazing.......but it's also getting tiring. Everything Calatrava designs is basically the same style......from the tower in Chicago, NYC World Trade Centre station, OAKA in Athens, etc. __________________ "My Homer is not a communist. He may be a liar, a pig, an idiot, a communist, but he is NOT a porn star." - Abe Simpson "Preparations for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics are progressing so well, it's boring. We'd like there to be some challenges, so we [the IOC] could shout at them." - IOC (Sept. 2007) "In medieval Europe if you didn't like somebody's argument and couldn't think of a real response you called them a witch and demanded they be burned at the stake. In the US you call them unpatriotic, and in Canada you call them racist."

December 28th, 2006, 10:33 PM	#3
Brendan Registered User Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Wollongong, NSW Posts: 2,245 Likes (Received): 0	Very interesting design, thankyou for posting this.

December 29th, 2006, 03:01 AM	#6
Bitxofo BANNED Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Alderaan BCN BKK ATH PAR LON SYD SFO CPT TYO SCL CHC BUE SCG SVQ AGP BDN Posts: 34,113 Likes (Received): 0	Wonderful transformation!! I lived in Liège in 1995 and this was Liège Guillemins station until 2002: What a difference...

December 29th, 2006, 04:01 AM	#8
DrT "The Ignorant Fool" Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: JAX,MCO,YVR,YYZ,SRQ Posts: 2,595 Likes (Received): 1	Thnx for posting patroeski. Really makes one believe that we have moved into the 21'st century. Makes me feel like we are in the stone age here in the US. We do not have TGV's, much less train stations that look like that.

December 29th, 2006, 04:53 AM	#9
patroeski Registered User Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Leuven, Brussels Posts: 614 Likes (Received): 0	no problem, I didn't know they don't got high-speed trains in the US.

December 29th, 2006, 08:13 PM	#11
lpioe Registered User Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 2,154 Likes (Received): 0	You can clearly see it's a Calatrava I like it a lot. Is this station only for high speed trains? __________________ my stadium designs 1 - 2 - 3 - 4

December 30th, 2006, 12:51 AM	#13
eusebius BANNED Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Trumpton-upon-Ravon Posts: 7,752 Likes (Received): 0	The first station built in Lièges looked much better than the modern one that's currently being replaced by the Calatrava designed one. Lièges is tied to the TGV network as well as to the ICE network Given its size, Lièges is well connected.

December 30th, 2006, 01:32 AM	#14
Brice Registered User Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: NYC Posts: 2,499 Likes (Received): 66	Calatrava is so boring, always the same design!

December 30th, 2006, 09:30 AM	#16
Songoten2554 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Miami Florida Posts: 1,125 Likes (Received): 0	so what his design is awsome i like his design its his signature style in a way its futuristic

December 30th, 2006, 02:40 PM	#17
patroeski Registered User Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Leuven, Brussels Posts: 614 Likes (Received): 0	I didn't say its bad that an architect has his own style, on the contrary, he has created a style that no architect ever had before.

December 30th, 2006, 03:20 PM	#18
CharlieP Prepare to die. Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Wakefield, Little Satan Posts: 21,070 Likes (Received): 219	Aaargh! Another off-topic thread in Subways and Urban Transport! I think I'm going to have to start a petition... __________________ This is my signature. There are many like it, but this one is mine.

December 30th, 2006, 03:30 PM	#19
micro Registered User Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Hamburg, .de Home: everywhere Posts: 1,517 Likes (Received): 3	There's not much variation, that's true. __________________ 178 metro/subway logos to play around with Follow Metrobits on Twitter

December 30th, 2006, 06:27 PM	#20
Bitxofo BANNED Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Alderaan BCN BKK ATH PAR LON SYD SFO CPT TYO SCL CHC BUE SCG SVQ AGP BDN Posts: 34,113 Likes (Received): 0	He has his own style and it works everywhere and many people like it! Why should he change it?

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