From today, travellers can use the extended underpass at Schaerbeek train station ensuring that the station is also accessible from the Avenue de Vilvorde, so people coming from the direction of the canal no longer have to walk around via the Van Praet bridge.
The extended underpass makes the Schaerbeek train station more accessible but also provides better and safer access to SNCB's train museum Train World and the Docks Bruxsel shopping centre.
"Extending the underpass fits in with SNCB's plan to turn Schaerbeek station into an important transport hub," a press release reads. "The station is part of the suburban S-network around Brussels. More than 3,000 travellers take the train in Schaerbeek, and about 200 trains stop there."
Increasing safety
For those walking from Docks to the station, the distance will be halved: from one kilometre via the Van Praet bridge previously to about 400 metres via the underpass now. The same applies to pedestrians who want to go from the direction of the canal to the station or Train World.
Extending the underpass also increases safety as it contributes to the fight against rail walkers at the station: until now, people sometimes crossed the train tracks so as not to have to make the detour via the Van Praet bridge. While this is first of all life-threatening for the person walking on the tracks, it also comes with the risk of causing a nuisance for train traffic.
The underpass can be accessed via a ramp from both the front and rear of the station, and as it concerns a pedestrian tunnel, cyclists must get off and keep their bikes in hand when passing through, just like in other stations.
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In recent years, a new waiting room and a covered bicycle parking have already been added to the station. In the next phase, it will be made fully accessible for people with reduced mobility as well.
From 2025, SNCB will raise and renovate the platforms together with rail network operator Infrabel. The platform canopies will also be renewed and an elevator will be installed in the extended underpass to each platform. The second and more northern underpass of the station will also be refreshed.
Credit: SNCB
