Platform elevation at Waregem station postponed to 2032

There is an escalator at Waregem station, but unfortunately there is no access to the platform for wheelchair users, let alone the train. The platforms are also not immediately raised. And that while Waregem has been asking for years to make the station more accessible.

Angry letter

Municipal councilor Anneke lives in Waregem, but it is impossible to take the train with her wheelchair, because there are no lifts. “The absurdity of the story is that I live 250 meters from the station, so I have to take the car to go to the next station to take a train there. How absurd can it be.”

According to the City of Waregem, NMBS had promised to carry out the adaptation works last year, but that did not happen. The fact that Waregem will not be a priority in the next ten years is met with disbelief. They are now writing an angry letter from the city to complain that they have been asking for an accessible station for years.

“In 2023 irresponsible”

Waregem mayor Kurt Vanryckeghem is also outraged. “They announced yesterday that it will not be until 2032 that Waregem will have an accessible station. In 2023, this can no longer be justified for people with a disability or buggy, among other things. It is a shame that it is not possible in a station where there are more than 2,000 people get on and off every day.”