Belgium's national railway company will open a new train station in Brussels, bolstering the capital's dense but underused urban rail network.
The new station will open in the municipality of Anderlecht from 13 December, marking the first time since 2016 that a regional train stop is created in the capital region.
The station will be plugged into the existing S3 line, reinforcing rail connections out of the southwest of Brussels with the west-laying outskirts and also allowing high-speed trains to run through it.
The new stop will be the latest addition to the 34 stations of the Brussels-Capital Region and is set to begin with a frequency of one train per hour, according to Bruzz.
During the weekends, the S3 train is set to run between Schaerbeek and the terminal in Zottengem, to the southwest of Brussels, stopping in Brussels' North, Central and Midi stations.
On weekdays, an IC train into Brussels from the Flemish city of Kortrijk will also run through Anderlecht station.
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Located close to the Brussels ring road, to a transfer car park and next to the Ceria metro station, the new station will seek to facilitate commuters' access into Brussels' public transport network.
The station will be made accessible to cyclists through a ramp but will have no lift, which could make it difficult for users with reduced mobility to access it.
The inauguration of the train stop is part of national rail operator SNCB/NMBS' plans to boost their Regional Express Network (RER/GEN).
Approved in April, the expansion strategy has already led to the creation of train stations within the capital: Tour & Taxis in the north and Arcades and Germoir in the south.
At least two other stations are slated for completion bin 2024 and in 2025: Uccle-Moensberg and Braine-Alliance, as the company advances plans to offer one train every 15 minutes during peak hours in all stations in the Brussels suburban areas.
Gabriela Galindo
The Brussels Times
