De Lijn express bus now stops at Oelegem, putting Antwerp 15 minutes away

Residents of Ranst no longer need to drive to Zoersel to catch De Lijn’s express bus to Antwerp. Since this week, the service has also stopped at the renovated park-and-ride in Oelegem, beside the E34, with the city center about 15 minutes away.

Ranst Mayor Bart Goris welcomed the new stop as an alternative to the frequent and unpredictable traffic jams on the motorway. The bus can use special taxi and bus lanes on parts of the route, allowing it to avoid some congestion.

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You often get stuck in traffic here on the E34, and then it is uncertain how long the journey will take. The express bus is therefore a very good alternative.

“Until now, if you wanted to take the express bus from Ranst, you first had to drive another 20 minutes by car,” Goris said. “We are therefore very pleased that there is now a stop in our own municipality.”

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Now we can reach Antwerp quickly and leave the car at home. I will certainly use the express bus myself.

The mayor said he planned to use the service himself. “Now we can reach Antwerp quickly and leave the car at home,” he said.

Antwerp Mobility Alderman Koen Kennis said the stop strengthens public transport options. The Oelegem facility has gained additional parking spaces, charging points for electric vehicles, bicycle storage and new bus stops. The express bus also serves Turnhout, Malle, Zoersel and Antwerp, running every 15 minutes on weekdays and Saturdays, and every 30 minutes on Sundays.

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This strengthens the possibility of using public transport. We see that park-and-rides are used very well; they are very valuable.