Brussels Airport (BRU) infrastructure: future

[Established02]

My best guess is the development of a tram connection.

This is an older article from December 2013.

BELGIUM: The Flemish government has approved plans to build three tram lines linking Brussels with towns beyond the city boundaries. The project has a budget of €500m, although permission to start work has not yet been granted. The lines could open as soon as 2020, with De Lijn the most likely operator.

...
The second route would link Brussels Nord with Brussels Airport via Schaarbeek and Haren, with a journey time of 25 min.

The third route would run alongside the Brussels Orbital Road around the north of the city to link the airport with Jette via Vilvoorde; the end-to-end journey on the route would take 40 min.

... plans for an eastern orbital route from Haacht to Tervuren via the airport have been dropped.

http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/news ... roved.html

[Atlantis]

The tram connection is for sure that it will come there. I think it's included of that "masterplan" 2020 of De Lijn. I think that the whole public transport platfrom will be changed in some time.

But what I wrote about will be something totally else and even for me a huge surprise. Even for me as an insider a second surprise in a short period.

[airazurxtror]

To build entirely new tram lines would take many years; but there is already the STIB tram line 62 to Eurocontrol, which could easily be made to reach the airport only 4 or 5 km farther.
And there will soon be a direct train line from Schuman.

[lumumba]

And now we have to try to sleep

[Conti764]

To build entirely new tram lines would take many years; but there is already the STIB tram line 62 to Eurocontrol, which could easily be made to reach the airport only 4 or 5 km farther.
And there will soon be a direct train line from Schuman.

Yes, logically i'd say the expansion of that particular tramline is a given, but in this surrealistic country the rails stop right at the border between Brussels and Flanders... I wonder when things will change...

The old trainstation is an ideal location for a tramstation. The platforms from the fifties are way to short for current day trains, but long enough for trams. A reopening of that station would also mean a boost to the adjacent old ticketing area which is now being taken by a bunch of homeless people...

[sn26567]

I guess it will be a (luxury?) airport hotel.

Why? The Sheraton is very nice!

[crew1990]

The old trainstation is an ideal location for a tramstation. The platforms from the fifties are way to short for current day trains, but long enough for trams. A reopening of that station would also mean a boost to the adjacent old ticketing area which is now being taken by a bunch of homeless people...

There is another train station in the airport? Where is it, does anyone have any foto? Why it has been closed?

[crew1990]

Mmmm a huge shopping center like in Bergamo

[Conti764]

The old trainstation is an ideal location for a tramstation. The platforms from the fifties are way to short for current day trains, but long enough for trams. A reopening of that station would also mean a boost to the adjacent old ticketing area which is now being taken by a bunch of homeless people...

There is another train station in the airport? Where is it, does anyone have any foto? Why it has been closed?

Before the new terminal was constructed in 1994, Brussels Airport had a small trainstation right next to where the car rental parking is today. Actually, you can have a look at it when you are at the rental car parking lot. If you walk via the return ramp and go down a slope, you can enter the open station. Of course, all rail infrastructure has been removed, but you can still see the platforms and when I was there a few years ago, you still had some advertising and information signs present...

At the bus station, if you walk past the MEDA office through the long hallway you see the NMBS logo, that was the old station. Untill a few years ago you could even enter the present station via the then working elevators and escalators. Since Diabolo and the tax this access has been closed and since that little passage it had back then has completely gone, the place is now abandonded and a free haven for some homeless people. In the large hall where the ticketing desks are, at the right side you have a double door, this was the access to the platforms, was open for some time years ago and since then is closed off again...

Why it got closed... With the 1994 terminal it wasn't idealy located compared to where the main activity in the airport would be. Running a dead end there was no possibility to enlarge the station or make it a through station, so it was end of story from the day the terminal and pier B opened... The platforms were long enough for the equipment of that day (see pictures below) but way inadequate for todays rolling stock due to their shortness. But as I said, it is sufficient for trams...

If you look at an aerial picture of BRU, you can easily see where the old emplacement of the railroad was. Where today trains enter the train tunnel, the railroad used to make a sharp turn to the left, follow the boundaries of the airport, right pass the catering buildings, under two bridges (one for the ringway and the other one for the entrance road to the airport) and on the plains between the entrance and exit road of the airport into what used to be the railwaystation.

You can still see some remainders of the line, through odd bridges which seem to be out of place due to nothing passing under them. There you had the railway.


Trainstation. Not much to see...


Picture of the trainyard in front of and just outside the old station... Where the train is on this picture you now have grass...


A train leaving the station, on top of the station you see (part of) Front Park 2.


A lot of history in one picture... A disused 'classic' train, demolished railroad and a Pan Am A300...

[crew1990]

Thanks for the explanation and your time Conti, I was only 4 years old when this station closed, it's always interesting to learn about the past of our airport.

[Airbus A330]

Very nice historic pictures which bring great memories back!

I am also too young for having known these Airport City Express trains in this blue livery but the old train station didn't close in 1994 but later (around 2000 no?), the station was still in use when I visited the airport and the Wingtips from 1997 to 2000.

[Conti764]

You are right... The new trainstation opened in 1998, not in 1994.

For the record, I have never been in the old station when it was in use. All I know comes from collecting information since, besides an aviation enthousiast, I also like trains

[airazurxtror]

And, to remain in history, there was a time when the airport train started at the Central station, from a blind siding under the Sabena terminal (where, still earlier, you could do the full check-in including leaving your hold luggage ...).

[Conti764]

And, to remain in history, there was a time when the airport train started at the Central station, from a blind siding under the Sabena terminal (where, still earlier, you could do the full check-in including leaving your hold luggage ...).

That small track you are talking about was gone, but until a few years ago you clearly saw a gap next to platform 1 of the central station. It got filled up when the station was renovated. History, indeed... The former Sabena house in the city centre is still there and clearly visible... What they use it for today, I don't know...

[Apuneger]

Very nice piece of airport history Conti, thanks!

Willem Groep has released some photos of the RWY 07R/25L renovation works on their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/WillemenGroep).

One photo that caught my attention was this one:

Does anybody know what they are building south of the runway? Is this the tunnel ceiling that is being (re-)strengthened?

Best regards,
Ivan

[Stij]

Apuneger,

Yes, it is the roof of the tunnel!

Cheers,

Stij

[OO-ITR]

Mmmm a huge shopping center like in Bergamo

You mean Uplace?

[EBKT]

Very soon a new big project on the landside of Brussels Airport will be announced. Not directly something to do with aviation but something with prestige.

Maybe kind of a monorail train shuttle to get really fast to the of the terminal

[Established02]

Very soon a new big project on the landside of Brussels Airport will be announced. Not directly something to do with aviation but something with prestige.

Next guess: a theme building

[Inquirer]

Oh, images from the days when there was still widespread optimism about the future.

I admit BRU airports doesn't have a signature landmark at present like that, but then neighter do many other airports in Europe, so I fail to see why something prestigious is urgently needed?

I just hope it's something practical too, because as said, there are far more urgent matters to tackle but just some prestige project: the lack of parking space is simply depressing for instance and if nothing is done quickly it will be putting a stuctural cap on future growth of the airport.

You can't target ever more passengers if those passengers can't be sure to get rid of their car at the airport (or alternatively get to the airport in a convenient way by public transport, something which isn't the case either).

I'm curious to find out what it will be, but timidly scared it will be a waste of money, time and precious land: the strategy of BRU seems not very clear to me, they are betting on too many horses at the same time: low cost vs. hub, leisure vs. business, shopping mall vs. fast transit airport etc. etc.