The Brussels North station will be sealed off in the evenings as part of a raft of new measures taken to improve the safety of the station.
Last week minister of Mobility, Ben Weyts (N-VA), and bus company De Lijn decided to create a temporary bus stop on Place du Nord, the square just outside of the station. Following this, the building itself will now be closed off in the evening by two glass walls.
The measure intends to prevent people from hanging around inside the station during the night or sleeping there. The stairs that go from the left part of the building to the -1, where the buses stop, will no longer be accessible.
The situation in and around the North Station remains problematic. Last weekend there were again a number of fights among transmigrants and there have been a number of complaints from bus passengers and drivers from De Lijn who felt unsafe.
It is the responsibility of the station's security service to close the glass doors and an iron gate in the evening, but the police have been asked to keep an eye on things.
Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times
