Work will begin next week on Antwerp’s new Spoorpark (Rail Park), a greenway that will transform a disused elevated railway site into a new pedestrian and cycling connection between Zurenborg and Borgerhout.
Construction is due to start on 14 September 2026 on the section between Draakplaats in Zurenborg and Luitenant Naeyaertplein in Borgerhout. If the project stays on schedule, the new park will open in summer 2027.
The project will create a largely car-free connection across the former railway site, with walking and cycling routes running through a new landscaped area. Trees, plants, grasses, lighting and places to sit will be incorporated into the design, while elements of the site’s railway past will be retained.
The most important transport element will be a new pedestrian and cycle bridge across Plantin en Moretuslei. The bridge will provide a dedicated crossing for people walking and cycling between the two neighbourhoods, replacing what is currently a difficult crossing of a busy road.
“We are building a bridge here that gives cyclists and pedestrians their own crossing over Plantin en Moretuslei, separate from car traffic,” said Antwerp Alderman for Mobility Koen Kennis (N-VA).
“Today, anyone travelling from Zurenborg to Borgerhout has to find their way between the traffic lanes. Soon, they will be able to make the crossing safely and without conflict, over the bridge. Two neighbourhoods that are next to each other on the map will also be connected in practice. This removes a missing link in the cycling and pedestrian network.”
The bridge will be built among existing trees and will form one of the main entrances to the new park. Construction is expected to reach the structure’s highest point above Plantin en Moretuslei by the end of 2026.
Railway infrastructure gets a new role
Spoorpark will make use of the site’s former railway infrastructure rather than erasing its history. Railway tracks will be relaid in the central section of the park, integrating them into the new landscape.
The project will also restore the historic platform canopy of Antwerp-East Railway Station, while the waterproofing of the railway bridge over Plantin en Moretuslei will be renewed.
At the western end of the site, the historic Brossel warehouse will be renovated into a covered park shelter. Its eventual use will be determined with the needs of the neighbourhood and park in mind.
The former LCI warehouse belonging to Infrabel, at the end of Plantin en Moretuslei, will be demolished during the first phase of the works.
Three phases
Construction will take place in three stages. The first phase, running from September 2026 until the end of January 2027, covers the area around the Plantin Moretus swimming pool and sports hall, Luitenant Naeyaertplein and the new bridge.
The central section will follow from January 2027. In addition to relaying the railway tracks, this phase will involve installing utility infrastructure and underground growing spaces for new trees.
The final phase will concentrate on the western section between the Brossel warehouse and Tweelingenstraat.
The completed Spoorpark will provide more than simply a new recreational space. It will turn a formerly inaccessible piece of railway infrastructure into a public route linking two densely built-up parts of Antwerp.
“Creating a new park is not a luxury in this neighbourhood, but a real necessity,” said Alderman for Urban Development Patrick Janssens (Vooruit). “Zurenborg and Borgerhout are densely built-up districts where people currently have too little access to greenery and space. With Spoorpark, we are not only adding trees and plants, but creating a place where people can walk, cycle, play and meet one another. This is exactly the kind of investment that makes a city more liveable: we are giving a piece of space that has been closed off for years back to the neighbourhood.”
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