The Brussels government has green lighted the Station Plan. This master plan aims to improve safety at the Brussels North and Brussels South train stations, make them cleaner, and at the same time address the presence of homeless people and drug users.
An annual budget of 10 million euros has been allocated for the plan.
Dilliès chairs the working groups himself
To develop the plan, the government is establishing several working groups. Minister-President Boris Dilliès (MR) will chair them personally. “The problems at Brussels’ stations require a coordinated approach involving numerous partners. If we want to upgrade our stations in a sustainable way, everyone must be on the same page,” said Dilliès.
The plan focuses on various measures that are expected to yield results within six to twelve months. For example, video surveillance will be stepped up – 60 cameras distributed across the two stations will be deployed – and security and public service personnel will have a greater on-site presence.
A private contractor will also be hired to thoroughly clean and disinfect both stations. Afterward, Net Brussels will carry out multiple cleaning sessions per day. The administration must also assess the condition of the street furniture and identify any necessary adjustments.
The Plan also includes a section on health and homelessness. The goal is to better coordinate social and health-related support measures, particularly for vulnerable groups. Brussels’help, Samusocial, and the Red Cross are being mobilized for this purpose.
Specific working group for South Station
A separate operational planning group will be established specifically for the South Station, recently described by the chief of police of the Brussels-South police zone as “a cheap public employment service for criminals.”
Its role will be to coordinate all projects related to mobility, public space, and urban renewal in the neighborhood. Brussels Minister of Economy Laurent Hublet (Les Engagés) was tasked with conducting a preliminary analysis and presenting an economic development plan, including the necessary capital to transform the South Station district. London’s St. Pancras is intended to serve as a model for this project.
In addition, the so-called ‘quadrilateral’ – the underutilized spaces beneath the railroad tracks running from the South Station to the city enter, which have stood empty for more than 40 years – will also be redeveloped.
“Today, these spaces form an almost endless blank wall that no one likes to walk past, especially at night,” says State Secretary for Urban Renewal Ans Persoons (Vooruit).
“By finally giving these areas a real purpose – starting with temporary events and later including neighborhood stores, sports facilities, cafés, public restrooms, showers, or bike parking – we want to bring a new, vibrant, and attractive dynamic to the area around the South Station.”
Construction plans are still at a standstill
No information has been provided regarding the timeline for the redevelopment of the NMBS/SNCB buildings on Fosny Avenue/Fosnylaan, which have stood vacant for more than 20 years, or the new NMBS/SNCB headquarters.
A design for the renovation, which includes a new linear building on the side facing the tracks, is ready, and the building permit has been in place since 2022, but legal appeals have been blocking the work for years.
However, the NMBS/SNCB announced yesterday that there is now an ‘Assist’ area in the main hall of Brussels-South Station. Travelers with limited mobility who have requested assistance can now use this special waiting area.
Brussels-South Station is the station with the highest number of assistance requests, for both domestic and international travelers. Every day, people with limited mobility request more than 45 assistance services there.
