At Liestal Station, the waiting room turned into a party room and restroom—SBB is closing it down

Here's what it's all about

• The new waiting area at the Liestal train station is temporarily closed because it has been misused by some individuals.
• According to SBB, it was sometimes used as a party room and even as a urinal, which is why it was no longer usable by passengers.
• It is currently unclear when the venue will reopen.
• It was only at the end of July that another case of vandalism in Liestal made headlines.

Summary created with

About 1.5 years after the new train station in Liestal, BL, opened, the waiting room has been temporarily closed. The reason: The space was being used for purposes other than its intended use by a few individuals.

"The waiting room was used as a party room, and in some cases even as a urinal," SBB spokesperson Moritz Weisskopf told "Regionaljournal Basel Baselland" on Radio SRF.

Due to this “misuse,” the space was no longer usable by travelers. According to SBB, it is currently unclear when the waiting room will reopen. Weisskopf also says that cases in which waiting rooms are regularly vandalized are “relatively rare.”

Alcohol Ban at Wasserturmplatz

Just at the end of July, another incident of vandalism in Liestal made headlines. In recent months, there have been repeated problems with alcohol, littering, and altercations at Wasserturmplatz. As a result, the city imposed a temporary ban on alcohol.

"There have been loud arguments, physical altercations within the group, and significant littering," says René Frei, head of security and social services for the city of Liestal, in an interview with SRF. The situation has become untenable for residents, passersby, and local businesses, Frei told “Blick".

According to authorities, previous measures also failed to have the desired effect. Neither talks nor private security services nor increased police patrols were able to bring lasting calm to the situation. As a result, police and emergency medical services had to respond on multiple occasions to altercations and incidents involving heavily intoxicated individuals.

The alcohol ban is in effect until August 22, 2026, for the time being.