Brussels-North railway station
Encyclopedia
Bruxelles-Nord / Brussel-Noord (Brussels North) 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
and the weekdays IC
-B to Amsterdam) 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
, Dexia Tower
and others, government offices and Flemish ministries.
Just next to the station is Aarschot Street
, an area of prostitution "behind windows".
In 1952 a new Brussels-North station was built to link with the North-South Connection. The old station was razed in 1955.
Few trains originate from Brussels North. Instead, most trains through Brussels depart from Brussel South, some from Schaarbeek
.
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
; 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
Thalys
Thalys is an international high-speed train operator originally built around the high-speed line between Paris and Brussels. This track is shared with Eurostar trains that go from Paris or Brussels to London via Lille and the Channel Tunnel and with French domestic TGV trains. Thalys reaches...
and the weekdays IC
InterCity
InterCity is the classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe...
-B to Amsterdam) passing here also has a planned stop.
Brussels North also is the end point of the underground tram
Brussels trams
The Brussels tram system is one of the ten largest in the world, carrying some 75.6 million passengers in 2009. Its development demonstrates many of the quandaries that face local public transport planners...
north-south axis and an important node of MIVB/STIB
Brussels Intercommunal Transport Company
The Brussels Intercommunal Transport Company is the local public transport operator in Brussels, Belgium...
and De Lijn
De Lijn
Vlaamse Vervoersmaatschappij De Lijn , usually known as simply De Lijn , is a company run by the Flemish government in Belgium to provide public transportation, similar to the way in which Belgian railroads or the postal system is run. It runs about 3650 buses and 359 trams...
bus lines. More than 30 regional bus lines depart from here, as do international Eurolines
Eurolines
Eurolines is a coach organisation, operating international bus routes within Europe and Morocco to over 500 destinations in over 25 countries. Rather than being a single company, Eurolines is a network of co-operating bus companies from all over Europe, offering integrated ticketing and extensive...
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
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, in the middle of the Northern Quarter
Northern Quarter (Brussels)
The Northern Quarter is the central business district of Brussels, Belgium. Similarly to the Zuidas in Amsterdam or La Défense in Paris, the Northern Quarter consists of a concentrated collection of high-rise buildings....
business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
, with several corporation headquarters such as Belgacom Towers
Belgacom Towers
The Belgacom Towers are twin skyscrapers on King Albert II Street in the Northern Quarter central business district of Brussels, Belgium. The buildings take their name from the telecommunications company Belgacom. They are among the tallest buildings in Belgium.The towers are both tall to the...
, Dexia Tower
Dexia Tower
The Dexia Tower is a skyscraper located in the Northern Quarter central business district of Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, Brussels, Belgium. It owes its name to its current tenant, the bank Dexia...
and others, government offices and Flemish ministries.
Just next to the station is Aarschot Street
Rue d'Aerschot
The Rue d'Aerschot or Aarschotstraat is a street in Brussels, Belgium known as a hotspot of the city's underground nightlife and famous for its brothels....
, an area of prostitution "behind windows".
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.
Rail lines
Brussels North has 12 platforms. These passenger lines join in the station:- Line 0, the Brussels North-South connection
- Line 25Belgian railway line 25The Belgian railway line 25 is the oldest railway line in Belgium. It connects the main two cities in Belgium: Brussels and Antwerp. The section between Brussels and Mechelen was completed in on May 5, 1835 and was the first railroad in Belgium. On May 3, 1836, the second section was first opened...
and 27 to Antwerp Central station - Line 36Belgian railway line 36The Belgian railway line 36 is a railway line in Belgium connecting Brussels to Liège. Completed in 1866, the line runs 99,3 km. Trains running between Brussels and Aachen in Germany use that line up to Liège, and then line 37 between Liège and the German border, the last stop in Belgium being...
to Liège-GuilleminsLiège-Guillemins railway stationLiège-Guillemins train station is the main station of the city of Liège, the third biggest city in Belgium. It is one of the most important hubs in the country and is one of the 3 Belgian stations on the high-speed rail network... - Line 50Belgian railway line 50The Belgian railway line 50 is a railway line in Belgium connecting Brussels to Ghent. The first section between Gent and Schellebelle was finished in 1837, offering a connection to Brussels through Dendermonde and Mechelen. The section between Schellebelle and Brussels was completed May 1, 1856. A...
to Gent-Sint-Pieters - Line 161Belgian railway line 161Belgian railway line 161 is the railway line connecting the Belgian capital city Brussels to Namur. The line first opened on August 12, 1854 between the Brussels-Luxembourg and La Hulpe railway stations, and was completed on October 23, 1856....
to Namur
Few trains originate from Brussels North. Instead, most trains through Brussels depart from Brussel South, some from Schaarbeek
Schaarbeek railway station
Schaerbeek - Schaarbeek is a railway station in the municipality of Schaerbeek, Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium.Located to the north-east of the centre of Brussels, the station mainly serves trains travelling between central Brussels and Leuven, Antwerp or Brussels National Airport.On these routes...
.