Antwerp Central station guide

By the Viamo editorial team · Editor Terje Moy · Last updated October 2026 · 5 min read

Antwerp Central is regularly named one of the most beautiful railway stations in the world, and it earns the description before you've even found your platform — a domed stone hall built to impress, stacked above a genuinely modern piece of railway engineering underneath. It's also, unusually for a grand old European terminus, a through-station for high-speed trains rather than a dead end, which is what drove its extraordinary four-level rebuild. Here's how to make sense of it.

A cathedral of rail

The current building, designed by architect Louis Delacenserie and completed in 1905, blends Neo-Baroque and Neo-Renaissance styles with Art Nouveau flourishes under a stone dome rising some 75 metres above the ticket hall — a scale more usually associated with a cathedral or royal palace than a railway station, which is exactly the nickname locals and guidebooks alike have given it. Even if you're only passing through, it's worth pausing under the dome in the main hall before heading down to the platforms; it's one of the few stations anywhere that's a genuine tourist attraction in itself.

Four levels explained

Between 1998 and 2007, Antwerp Central was rebuilt from a single-level dead-end station into a four-level stack, so that high-speed trains could run straight through the city rather than terminating and reversing. Street level holds the ticket hall and main entrance. Level +1, under the original 1905 roof, keeps the historic platforms, now mostly used by local and some intercity trains. Level -1, with platforms numbered 11–14, generally handles Belgian intercity (IC) services, including trains toward Brussels. Level -2, in a deep tunnel with platforms 21–24, carries the international high-speed trains — Thalys/Eurostar-branded services and other international ICs — running straight through beneath the city. Signage is generally good, but it's worth checking your level as well as your platform number, since the wrong level means a longer detour than at a conventional station.

IC network and finding your train

Belgium's rail network runs on a dense, largely clockface timetable, and Antwerp Central sits on several of its busiest IC lines, with frequent direct trains to Brussels and onward connections across the country. Brussels-Midi, roughly 45 minutes south, is Belgium's main international hub for Eurostar and other cross-border high-speed trains — see our Brussels-Midi station guide if you're changing there. For the wider picture of how Belgian rail fits together, see our Belgium by train guide. If you're heading north into the Netherlands, high-speed and IC services connect onward toward Amsterdam; our Brussels to Amsterdam route guide covers that corridor, much of which also passes through Antwerp. International high-speed trains generally require a seat reservation, unlike most domestic Belgian IC services — see our guide to high-speed trains in Europe for how that works across the continent.

Luggage lockers

Automatic luggage lockers are available on level 0 and level -1, in a range of sizes for anything from a small bag to a full suitcase, generally rented by the day with longer periods available. As at most major continental stations, these are self-service and card-operated, so have a payment card to hand.

Trams, the pre-metro and De Lijn

Antwerp Central connects to the city's tram and pre-metro network (trams running partly underground) run by De Lijn, with a stop just outside the station that puts most of central Antwerp within a short ride. It's the easiest way to reach the old town and the Scheldt riverside if you're not walking. Our Antwerp public transport guide covers the tram and pre-metro network, tickets and how it compares with walking for short hops.

The diamond district right outside

One of Antwerp Central's more unusual neighbours is the world-famous diamond district, centred on Hoveniersstraat, Schupstraat and Pelikaanstraat, a genuine five-minute walk from the station's main entrance. It's home to several diamond bourses and the offices of major certification bodies, alongside hundreds of dealers and jewellers — reachable straight from the station without needing any onward transport, which is unusual for a district of this significance in most other cities.

Food and shops

The station has a reasonable spread of cafés, bakeries and small food outlets around the main hall and the upper concourse level, enough for a coffee or a light meal between trains. For a fuller meal, the Meir shopping street and the diamond district's cafés are both a short walk away and worth the detour if your connection allows it.

Changing trains and tips

Because the station is spread across four levels rather than one flat concourse, changing trains here can take longer than the platform numbers alone suggest — moving between level -2 and level +1, for instance, involves several flights of escalators or lifts. Build in extra time for any connection that crosses levels, particularly with luggage or during busy commuter periods, and use the lifts if you need step-free access, since they can be a longer route than the escalators but are more reliable when the station is crowded.

Accessibility and quirks

Lifts serve every level, though they're not always the fastest route when the station is busy, so build in extra time if you need step-free access between the deepest platforms and the street. One quirk worth knowing: because the high-speed platforms sit in a genuine tunnel two storeys underground, there's noticeably less natural light and a different atmosphere down there than in the domed main hall above — arriving on an international train can feel like a completely different building from the one on the postcards, until you ride the escalators back up into the stone and glass of the original station. Antwerp Central is also unusually central for a major stop on the high-speed network, sitting within easy walking distance of the old town, the zoo and the Meir shopping street, which makes even a short layover worth spending outside rather than in the concourse.

Frequently asked questions

How many levels does Antwerp Central have?

Four: street level for the ticket hall, level +1 for the historic platforms, level -1 for Belgian IC services, and level -2, in a deep tunnel, for international high-speed trains.

Which platforms do international trains use at Antwerp Central?

International high-speed services generally use platforms 21–24 on level -2, the deepest level, built specifically for through-running high-speed trains.

Is the diamond district near Antwerp Central station?

Yes — it's about a five-minute walk from the station's main entrance, centred on Hoveniersstraat, Schupstraat and Pelikaanstraat.

Where can I store luggage at Antwerp Central?

There are automatic lockers on level 0 and level -1, in various sizes, generally rented by the day.