Zeebrugge Station

[Comet]

Is it true that the Zeebrugge-Dorp railway station is closing permanantly in 2009? I have seen a comment about it on an online photo gallery but cannot find any news about it in English.

I know Dorp is not open Saturday/Sunday/holidays and in July and August, but that seems to be the most handy of the two stations, seeing as most houses in Zeebrugge seem to be nearer Dorp than Strand. Apart from our favourite restaurant in Zeebrugge, everything else we visit is nearer to Dorp, the Kusttram takes so much longer to get there than the train does.

[regi]

that is new to me. My son is doing a holiday job at the best restaurant at the Zeebrugge beach front and he takes this train regularly. I'll ask him.
By the way: did you visit already the old soviet submarine in the harbour ?

[Comet]

that is new to me. My son is doing a holiday job at the best restaurant at the Zeebrugge beach front and he takes this train regularly. I'll ask him.
By the way: did you visit already the old soviet submarine in the harbour ?

Regi - this is where I first saw the comment about Dorp closing this year (the photo was taken in 2008 so the "next year" in the comment would be this year) http://www.flickr.com/photos/8986248@N07/3025086177/

I tried to find something else about it but all the sources were in Dutch and online translating did not make much sense.

I've seen the Russian submarine in the harbour - very interesting - I don't envy those sailors who had to spend months at a time on one of those, it's years old but they must still be very similar inside now.

I think if I lived in Zeebrugge I would not be happy at the thought of Dorp station closing - the Strand station is quite a walk if you happen to live at the other end near the brown church and the submarine. Strand is OK for the beach but if you don't want to go to the beach or you don't live near the beach it is a bit of a nuisance.

[jan_olieslagers]

Here is the reply I got at www.hgbtf.net, one of the nicer forums I hang around:

De NMBS wou al in 2001 het station Zeebrugge-Dorp eigenlijk sluiten.
Omdat volgens het beheerscontract tussen de Staat en de NMBS echter geen enkel station mag "worden geschrapt zonder akkoord van de Minister tot wiens bevoegdheden het spoorvervoer behoort", waarbij "het aan de Minister voorgelegd dossier zal vergezeld zijn van het voorafgaand advies van het Raadgevend Comité van de Gebruikers", is dit niet gebeurd.
Dat Raadgevend Comité heeft in 2000 een negatief advies gegeven over de mogelijke sluiting.

Free <translation> by yours truly:
NMBS wanted to close it in 2001 already; however NMBS gets a lot of money from the government so the govt have their say and they are to get advice from some kind of comittee of train users and that advice was negative. </translation>

So I suppose NMBS continue to operate there, though grudgingly.

[regi]

off topic :submarines:
not many people are aware that the highest rate of deadly asbestosis was among submarine sailors, especially the engine mechanics.
The small asbestos particles penetrated the oxigen filters and all crewmen inhaled for years the deadly needle formed particles.
Asbestos was widly applied as a fire resistant cement or fabric around piping, seals, diesel engine exhaust,...

[Comet]

Thanks for the info regi and jan_olieslagers - nice to know that Dorp will be around for a while yet

I think life on a sub sounded quite horrid, from what I read in the guidebook to the Seafront attraction (showers only once in ten days, freezing onto the toilet etc). That must be the worst job for any sailor to have.

[jan_olieslagers]

[[wildly off-topic]]
Louise,
From my combined memories as a tourist, folk musician and amateur erudite, I observe life on the submarines must have followed the general evolution of worker's progress and comfort, but with some delay. Check the songs of Irish whale fishers or Flemish cod fishers in the 19th century (sailing often from ports now in France, like Duinkerke (Dunkirk) and Kales (Calais)): no shower even in a hundred days, except from rough seas - no lack of those apparently. Or one should get ducked for some minor misbehaviour, cleansing body and soul and conscience all in one simple operation.
And remember shower baths are a recent luxury anyway - even exuberantly rich people like kings Henry VIII or Louis XIV never enjoyed any.
Generally, workers in the 19th century, poor and depraved as we consider them today, had some comforts and luxuries fully unavailable to kings only a few centuries before.
Just to put it all into context.
[[reverting back to the 21st century now]]

[regi]

back to topic:
I just visited friends nearby the railway station Zeebrugge Dorp yesterday.
I was told by a friend who lives 30 meters away from it that it is just the opposite: station Zeebrugge Bad will close during the off season , but Zeebrugge Dorp will be open all year around.
Maybe I should do the effort and ask at the railway guys themselves...

[Comet]

back to topic:
I just visited friends nearby the railway station Zeebrugge Dorp yesterday.
I was told by a friend who lives 30 meters away from it that it is just the opposite: station Zeebrugge Bad will close during the off season , but Zeebrugge Dorp will be open all year around.
Maybe I should do the effort and ask at the railway guys themselves...

That would suit me fine Next time I go to Zeebrugge will be on a Saturday in December - normally a Zeebrugge Strand day. Apart from my favourite eating place in Zeebrugge, we don't bother with the Strand area - my favourite drinking haunt is near the big cross which is better for Dorp than Strand, and we were planning to try the Suffolk Ferry too, which is a very short walk from Dorp.