Genk (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Renovation work at Genk railway station is almost finished. The upgrades include a blue pedestrian zone, safer crossings, improved bus flow, and reduced parking, led by Alderman Karel Kriekemans.
As VRT News reported, in Genk, the renovation work at the railway station is almost finished. A striking blue pedestrian zone now stretches across the station square in Genk. Alderman for Mobility Karel Kriekemans (CD&V) explained that the bright strip is meant to encourage walking and make the area safer for pedestrians.
“We want people to follow this blue path because it is much safer than the previous layout,”
He said.
What upgrades are making Genk station safer and more accessible?
Kriekemans stressed that the present work is a short-term answer to enhance safety and accessibility in the short term. The municipality collaborates with NMBS (Belgian Railways) and De Lijn to create a multimodal mobility plan for the station area. The long-term plan will propose the traffic flow, pedestrian access, and integration of public transport to design a safer and more structured station for citizens, inhabitants, and tourists.
The project started on 17 July 2025 and aimed at enhancing the station environment for passengers and pedestrians. The work is due for completion this week, according to Mobility Alderman Karel Kriekemans (CD&V).
The improvements involve improved paths, more secure pedestrian crossings, and improved signage to direct visitors. Kriekemans noted that the renovations are just a part of the city’s long-term strategy to improve mobility and security.
In Genk, an accident took place on the morning of October 24, 2024, near the Europalaan at the station. A 15-year-old girl was hit by a De Lijn bus while crossing the road close to the railway station. Emergency services arrived quickly, but help came too late, and the teenager died at the scene.
Police closed off the area, and a traffic expert from the Limburg prosecutor’s office investigated the cause of the crash. In response, Genk city, together with De Lijn, NMBS, and the police zone CARMA, launched a safety improvement plan.
