Brussels-North railway station

Brussels-North
Railway Station
Location 76 rue du Progrès, 1030 Schaerbeek
76 Vooruitgangstraat, Schaarbeek
Coordinates 50°51′36″N 4°21′42″E / 50.86000°N 4.36167°E / 50.86000; 4.36167Coordinates: 50°51′36″N 4°21′42″E / 50.86000°N 4.36167°E / 50.86000; 4.36167
Owned by National Railway Company of Belgium
Line(s) 0, 25, 27, 36, 50, 161
Platforms 12
Connections
  Line 3
  Line 4
Other information
Station code FBN
History
Opened 1952

Brussels Premetro North-South Axis

Legend
Gare du Nord/Noordstation
Rogier
De Brouckère
Bourse/Beurs
Anneessens
Lemonnier
Gare du Midi/Zuidstation
Porte de Hal/ Hallepoort
Parvis de Saint-Gilles/ Sint-Gillis Voorplein
Horta
Albert

Brussels-North (French: Bruxelles-Nord, Dutch: Brussel-Noord) is one of the three major railway stations in Brussels; the other two are Brussels Central and Brussels South. The station's bilingual French-Dutch name is generally translated to "Brussels North".

Every regular domestic and international train (except Thalys) passing here also has a planned stop.

Brussels North also is the end point of the underground tram north-south axis and an important node of MIVB/STIB and De Lijn bus lines. More than 30 regional bus lines depart from here, as do international Eurolines coach services.

The station has 200,000 passengers per week, mainly commuters. It opens up to the Noordruimte/Espace Nord business district and is a starting place for inner-city visits.

Just like the other bigger stations in Brussels, Brussels-North is characterized by late maintenance and old-fashioned design. Meanwhile, there are plans to renovate the building, platforms and pedestrian subways. These long-due works should start at the end of 2008, when the renovation of Brussels-Central will be finished.

The station is located in the municipality of Schaerbeek in Brussels, in the middle of the Northern Quarter business district, with several corporation headquarters such as Belgacom Towers, Rogier Tower and others, government offices and Flemish ministries.

Just next to the station is Aarschot Street, an area of prostitution "behind windows".[1]

History

The first station in Brussels was Groendreef / Allée Verte, where in 1835 the first train on a public railway departed on the European continent. This was replaced in March 1846 by the first Brussels-North station, designed by F. Coppens and situated on Rogier Place. It had 27 tracks.

In 1952 a new Brussels-North station was built to link with the North-South Connection. The old station was razed in 1955.

A panorama of the premetro station, left is the platform towards the north, the far right platform to the south.

Rail lines

Brussels North has 12 platforms. These passenger lines join in the station:

Few trains originate from Brussels North. Instead, most trains through Brussels depart from Brussel South, some from Schaarbeek.

Train services

The station is served by the following services:[2]

Preceding station   Deutsche Bahn   Following station
ICE 79
Preceding station   EuroCity   Following station
EuroCity
toward Basel SBB
Preceding station   NMBS/SNCB   Following station
NS International 9200
toward Oostende
IC 01
toward Eupen
toward Blankenberge and Knokke
IC 03
toward Genk
IC 05
weekdays
toward Tournai
IC 06
Diegem
toward Mons
IC 06A
Terminus
toward Binche
IC 11
weekdays
toward Turnhout
toward Kortrijk
IC 12
weekdays
toward Welkenraedt
toward Quiévrain
IC 14
weekdays
IC 16
toward Luxembourg
IC 17
weekends
toward Dinant
IC 18
weekdays
toward Liège-Palais
From Monday to Friday, except holidays
IC 20
From Monday to Friday, except holidays
toward Tongeren
On weekends and holidays
On weekends and holidays
toward Lokeren
From Monday to Friday, except holidays
toward Essen
IC 22
From Monday to Friday, except holidays
On weekends and holidays
On weekends and holidays
toward Binche
toward Oostende
IC 23
Terminus
toward Brugge
IC 23A
toward Kortrijk
IC 26
weekdays
toward Sint-Niklaas
toward De Panne
IC 29
toward Landen
From Monday to Friday, except holidays
IC 31
From Monday to Friday, except holidays
On weekends and holidays
On weekends and holidays
S 1
weekdays
toward Nivelles
TerminusS 1
weekends
S 1
weekends
toward Leuven
S 2
toward Dendermonde
S 3
weekdays
toward Oudenaarde
Terminus
S 6
toward Denderleeuw
toward Louvain-la-Neuve-Université
S 8
toward Aalst
S 10
toward Dendermonde

References

  1. ↑ News report re prostitution on Aarschotstraat/Rue d'Aerschot
  2. ↑ Belgian railways timetable brochures in English

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Brussels North station.
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