Large parts of Brussels North Station have been recognized as monuments. These include the clock tower, the facades in natural stone and beige brick, the large ticket hall “with its monumental U-shaped staircase,” the seven platforms, and the remaining wooden benches on those platforms.
The North Station, located in the Brussels municipality of Schaerbeek, was built between 1938 and 1956. The modernist building with its cubist volumes, strict symmetry, and vertical lines in the facades, is the work of architects Paul and Jacques Saintenoy and Jean Hendrickx-Van den Bosch.
Landmark
“The North Station is not just a place you pass through, or a purely functional building: it is one of the most important gateways to Brussels and a landmark in the urban landscape of our capital,” says Brussels State Secretary for Urban Development and Heritage Ans Persoons (Vooruit).
“Recognizing, protecting, and appreciating this railway heritage therefore confirms the identity of our city and ensures that its typical post-war modernist architecture is preserved for future generations.”
According to the State Secretary, this recognition is also part of the redevelopment of Brussels’ North District into “a lively, green, and multifunctional space” of which the North Station is to become a central element. The redevelopment of the neighborhood around North Station is urgently needed, as safety issues have plagued it for years.
Previously, Central Station and the Congress stop had already been included in the list of Brussels monuments to be preserved.
Newly renovated
The recognition does not mean that the owner of NMBS/SNCB can no longer do anything in the building. The railway company “can still adapt the building to modern needs and passenger comfort,” the Persoons cabinet emphasizes. For example, escalators or elevators can be installed, or even screens or loudspeakers, “with respect for the heritage.”
NMBS/SNCB points out that major renovation work on the station was completed at the end of 2019. The station hall was “restored to its former glory,” and elevators and escalators were installed on each platform. However, replacing several solid-wood benches on the platforms with metal ones also led to protests.
Extra late trains between Antwerp and Brussels
From Sunday, 14 December, NMBS/SNCB will also be expanding its train services in the province of Antwerp. On Friday and Saturday evenings, there will be extra late trains running between Antwerp and Brussels. These will be suburban S-trains, which stop at several stations.
In the province of Antwerp, there will be stops at Antwerp Central, Antwerp-Berchem, Mortsel, Mortsel-Liersesteenweg, Hove, Kontich-Lint, Duffel, Sint-Katelijne-Waver, Mechelen-Nekkerspoel, and Mechelen. In both Antwerp and Brussels, the last train will depart around 1 a.m., whereas currently it departs around midnight.
On the weekend, there will also be an additional IC train in both directions between Antwerp and Leuven, running via Aarschot. This train will also stop in Lier and Heist-op-den-Berg.
The Charleroi-Brussels route should also be improved, with two trains per hour in each direction at weekends, instead of one, with stops at stations such as Nivelles and Braine-l’Alleud.
More suburban S-trains
There will also be more suburban S-trains running on weekdays and weekends. The S4 trains between Aalst, Denderleeuw, Jette, and the European Quarter will run every two hours instead of every hour. One of these trains will continue to Louvain-la-Neuve.
The S10 train between Aalst and Jette, with Brussels-South as its terminus, will now run every three hours in both directions. These trains will also stop at Erembodegen station, among others.
The S3 trains between Geraardsbergen and Denderleeuw will run every 30 minutes throughout the day. Currently, they only run during rush hour. These trains also stop at Schendelbeke, Idegem, Zandbergen, Appelterre, Eichem, Ninove, Okergem, and Iddergem.
The S5 trains between Edingen, Halle, and Mechelen will run every two hours to Geraardsbergen throughout the day on school days. The S3 train between Geraardsbergen and Halle will run every 30 minutes in both directions. These trains will also stop at Viane-Moerbeke station, among others.
And in May next year, the new temporary Antwerp-Linkeroever station will open. On weekdays, two trains per hour will stop in both directions, and one train per hour on weekends. Finally, from September 2026, there will be a more generous S service between Antwerp and Mol at weekends.
