Brussels Airport (BRU) infrastructure: future

[Atlantis]

So happy to see this horrible Soviet-looking building being demolished - finally!

Wondering when BAC is going to communicate about the plans for this area (the extension of the terminal building)...

On one of this part the new second hotel will be. There is only discussion how many rooms it will have.

And how many stars?

At least 4. The name will be revealed at the last moment

[Lux_avi]

At least 4. The name will be revealed at the last moment

Pretty obvious seen the location…

[Atlantis]

In meantime Urban Brussels delivered the permission for the Brussels extension of tram 62 to Brussels Airport. We are talking here about 400 meter.
The Flemisch part will be probably delivered in September of this year.
At the beginning of 2024 the Flemisch government can give his permission and the search, offer, for the constructor can start

[brabel]

Maybe BRU should try to convince Arriva or QBuzz to make a stop in the BRU train station? Since Thalys isn't a big fan to stop there...

[sn26567]

Maybe BRU should try to convince Arriva or QBuzz to make a stop in the BRU train station? Since Thalys isn't a big fan to stop there...

Since Arriva Netherlands and Qbuzz are Dutch companies, I don't think they will try and promote BRU rather than AMS. Dutch companies have a history of looking for national pride rather than allowing foreigners to take away their markets.

[TLspotting]

Maybe BRU should try to convince Arriva or QBuzz to make a stop in the BRU train station? Since Thalys isn't a big fan to stop there...

Since Arriva Netherlands and Qbuzz are Dutch companies, I don't think they will try and promote BRU rather than AMS. Dutch companies have a history of looking for national pride rather than allowing foreigners to take away their markets.

Arriva is technically speaking German and Qbuzz Italian, even if they are Dutch through their subsidiary.
However, Arriva could do it while I see more Qbuzz to avoid BRU, to be in direct competition with Eurostar. Plus, NS is to change soon their plans for the so-called "IC Benelux".

[PopUp]

In all honesty, I do not know what NS's ICE Benelux plans are, but I do not expect a Dutch railway company to have a lot of consideration for BRU Airport. What are the managers of SN and BRU Airport doing, except sitting comfortably in their arm chair. OK, I am exagerating.
In the terms of BRU being connected to international trains, there should have been, imho, à lot of lobbying for an international train running at least thrice a day (not exclusively for the benefit of BRU and SN, but also In the framework of promoting co-existence between air and rail) to have an international train with the following itinerary :
Amsterdam Centraal
Schiphol
Den Haag Holland Spoor
Rotterdam
Antwerpen Centraal
Brussels Airport
Brussels Schuman
Brussels Luxembourg
Luxembourg (Grand Duchy)
Strasbourg
Basle SBB
(No other intermediate stops, except perhaps for Namur and Metz, but preferably not).

Another option could be to have the train start at Den Haag Centraal (not Amsterdam Centraal).

FWIW

[crew1990]

In all honesty, I do not know what NS's ICE Benelux plans are, but I do not expect a Dutch railway company to have a lot of consideration for BRU Airport. What are the managers of SN and BRU Airport doing, except sitting comfortably in their arm chair. OK, I am exagerating.
In the terms of BRU being connected to international trains, there should have been, imho, à lot of lobbying for an international train running at least thrice a day (not exclusively for the benefit of BRU and SN, but also In the framework of promoting co-existence between air and rail) to have an international train with the following itinerary :
Amsterdam Centraal
Schiphol
Den Haag Holland Spoor
Rotterdam
Antwerpen Centraal
Brussels Airport
Brussels Schuman
Brussels Luxembourg
Luxembourg (Grand Duchy)
Strasbourg
Basle SBB
(No other intermediate stops, except perhaps for Namur and Metz, but preferably not).

Another option could be to have the train start at Den Haag Centraal (not Amsterdam Centraal).

FWIW

While I totally agree with you for the train connections missing, allow me to ask you what makes you think that there is not any lobying from SN and BRU?

There is a lot actually. And in the case of SN, it's a topic coming back regularly and wich is actually a source of frustration as we would like to have a direct train connections between BRU and Paris... During july and august, there will be 3 daily CDG-BRU and 2 daily BRU-CDG + 1 ferry flight.

Pre covid we had 3 daily flight both way with the aircrafg and crew staying the whole day and overnighting to perform an early departure from CDG. On some lucky day, the aircraft staying in CDG was operating charter flight to Aqaba on behalve of club med.

Don't you think we'd like to make a better use of our A320 and crew and scrap those flight, don't you think it would be more profitable for everyone to have a direct connection between BRU and Paris? But so far there is no alternative and SN is fighting for it, and BRU too.

[crew1990]

In all honesty, I do not know what NS's ICE Benelux plans are, but I do not expect a Dutch railway company to have a lot of consideration for BRU Airport. What are the managers of SN and BRU Airport doing, except sitting comfortably in their arm chair. OK, I am exagerating.
In the terms of BRU being connected to international trains, there should have been, imho, à lot of lobbying for an international train running at least thrice a day (not exclusively for the benefit of BRU and SN, but also In the framework of promoting co-existence between air and rail) to have an international train with the following itinerary :
Amsterdam Centraal
Schiphol
Den Haag Holland Spoor
Rotterdam
Antwerpen Centraal
Brussels Airport
Brussels Schuman
Brussels Luxembourg
Luxembourg (Grand Duchy)
Strasbourg
Basle SBB
(No other intermediate stops, except perhaps for Namur and Metz, but preferably not).

Another option could be to have the train start at Den Haag Centraal (not Amsterdam Centraal).

FWIW

While I totally agree with you for the train connections missing, allow me to ask you what makes you think that there is not any lobying from SN and BRU?

There is a lot actually. And in the case of SN, it's a topic coming back regularly and wich is actually a source of frustration as we would like to have a direct train connections between BRU and Paris... During july and august, there will be 3 daily CDG-BRU and 2 daily BRU-CDG + 1 ferry flight.

Pre covid we had 3 daily flight both way with the aircrafg and crew staying the whole day and overnighting to perform an early departure from CDG. On some lucky day, the aircraft staying in CDG was operating charter flight to Aqaba on behalve of club med.

Don't you think we'd like to make a better use of our A320 and crew and scrap those flight, don't you think it would be more profitable for everyone to have a direct connection between BRU and Paris? But so far there is no alternative and SN is fighting for it, and BRU too.

[PopUp]

Please accept my apologies.

[Stij]

De detour and the limited capacity is making it difficult...

Mayve converting the diabolo to some kind of people mover and creating railwaystations on the main line could be an affordable solution... but it's a long shot...

[Conti764]

De detour and the limited capacity is making it difficult...

Mayve converting the diabolo to some kind of people mover and creating railwaystations on the main line could be an affordable solution... but it's a long shot...

And cut the direct link with Antwerp and beyond?

The only solution I see is having an international station on line 36(N) Brussels-Leuven and connect it with a skytrain to the terminal building and further parkings spots.

You could have Thalys and ICE trains stop at this station without too much hassle.

To increase efficiency they could also have national trains using line 36 and skipping BRU stop there. It would create a direct link with several IC-trains (Genk, Liège,...)

And to top it off, have check-in facilities for the comfort of pax.

[TLspotting]

As I told maybe a year ago, another underground station on line 36 is to come under the existing station.

[Conti764]

As I told maybe a year ago, another underground station on line 36 is to come under the existing station.

Which excisting station? Brussels Airport? It doesn't solve the forementioned detour.

[Stij]

And cut the direct link with Antwerp and beyond?
...
And to top it off, have check-in facilities for the comfort of pax.

I do apoligize for not being clear enough.

I would build 4 stops on this people mover:

Above line 36
Terminal
Under line 25N, with a parking lot above the E19.
Vilvoorde railwaystation

And yes indeed... some self service check-in would be nice!

[Atlantis]

And cut the direct link with Antwerp and beyond?
...
And to top it off, have check-in facilities for the comfort of pax.

I do apoligize for not being clear enough.

I would build 4 stops on this people mover:

Above line 36
Terminal
Under line 25N, with a parking lot above the E19.
Vilvoorde railwaystation

And yes indeed... some self service check-in would be nice!

All nice ideas of course, but don't forget that we have a government who is not thinking like that. Especially not the minister of transport.

Second issue is that again a lot of protests will be from local communities. I mean, people don't want to have all this in front of their door

Truth is that not many high speed train companies are interested to come to BRU.

[Conti764]

And cut the direct link with Antwerp and beyond?
...
And to top it off, have check-in facilities for the comfort of pax.

I do apoligize for not being clear enough.

I would build 4 stops on this people mover:

Above line 36
Terminal
Under line 25N, with a parking lot above the E19.
Vilvoorde railwaystation

And yes indeed... some self service check-in would be nice!

All nice ideas of course, but don't forget that we have a government who is not thinking like that. Especially not the minister of transport.

Second issue is that again a lot of protests will be from local communities. I mean, people don't want to have all this in front of their door

Truth is that not many high speed train companies are interested to come to BRU.

The idea of a station on line 36(N) isn't that far fetched, though... Upgrade the existing station Nossegem with longer platforms and a building on top of the tracks with C/I-facilities and from there have a sort of skytrain that crosses the adjacent fields and afterwards folows the existing ringway. From there it will be entirely on BRU grounds, hardly disturbing anyone. You could have a skytrain all up to Brucargo, bringing possibilities to open more parking buildings further away from the terminal and have different stops along the route.

It would take ICE and Thalys only 1 extra stop without a detour and give options to the NMBS to have more trains serving the airport without going through the existing station.

[Atlantis]

The idea of the skytrain is cancelled if you refer also to Vision 2040 (which is not existing anymore)
Now there is Shift2027

[Conti764]

The idea of the skytrain is cancelled if you refer also to Vision 2040 (which is not existing anymore)
Now there is Shift2027

I wasn't refering to Vision 2040.

[PopUp]

The idea of the skytrain is cancelled if you refer also to Vision 2040 (which is not existing anymore)
Now there is Shift2027

I wasn't refering to Vision 2040.