Etterbeek station is an important mobility hub and a gateway to the neighboring university district. However, due to the outdated infrastructure, the site is inefficient and inaccessible. Plans to change this have been on the drawing board for years, but on 13 July, NMBS finally submitted an application for an urban development permit to the Brussels Region.
Etterbeek station – which is actually just over the border in Ixelles – processed about 6,500 boarded passengers during the week last year. It is a crucial transport hub, especially for students from the neighboring VUB and ULB, but the station has been struggling for years with large crowds at peak times because it only has one entrance.
The station is also very difficult to access for people with disabilities. The NMBS wants to change that.
It was previously announced that the railway company would therefore pump 8 million euros into renovation works. An architectural competition was then announced, in which the established architecture firm Multiple emerged as the winner. The agency is supported by Studio Roma, SEA and SECA.
In concrete terms, the platforms must be renovated and a pedestrian and cyclist bridge will be built that will connect Pleinlaan and Kroonlaan. This is evident from the NMBS transport plan 2023-2026. From this bridge there is a lift to each platform. In addition, the station building will also be renovated and the bicycle parking areas will be renovated. The old shelters for travelers on the platforms will be replaced by canopies.
These works are planned between 2025 and 2029. It is the intention that the station will remain in use during the renovation, according to NMBS spokesman Bart Crols.
2023-08-06 10:14:16
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