According to figures released earlier this week by the Belgian rail company NMBS around 60,000 passengers use each of Brussels three main railway station each day during the week. These figures are in stark contrast to the number of passengers that use many of the smaller stations in the capital. Twenty stations in the Brussels-Capital Region have few than a thousand passengers on weekends. The station at Haren in the north of the City of Brussels and Arcaden Station in Watermaal-Bosvoorde are both used by fewer than 100 passengers on an average weekday.
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60,000 passengers per day at Brussels North, just 81 at Haren
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During its annual passenger census, NMBS counted an average of just 81 passengers per day using Haren Station. At Arcaden Station in Watermaal-Bosvoorde this was 92 passengers per weekday.
Meanwhile, the Brussels’ north-south rail link remains the busiest stretch of railway in the country. 60,449 passengers use Brussels North Station on an average weekday. Brussels Central has an average of 58,877 passengers/weekday and Brussels South is close behind with 58,344 passengers. These figures are up by around 20% of the figures recorded during NMBS’ 2022 passenger census.
The 2023 passenger census was carried out between 30 September and 8 October. NMBS is keen to stress that as the figures are based on a relatively short period of just over a week there is inevitably a certain margin of error.
No plans to scrap small stations
The figures show very great differences in passenger numbers between the big stations in or near to the city centre and smaller stations in the suburbs, the areas around which are often served by more frequent alternative forms of public transport.
The stations at Simonis in Koekelberg, Evere, Brussels-West in Molenbeek, Mouterij in Elsene, Kappelekerk in Brussels city centre, Thurn en Taxis in Laken, Merode in Etterbeek, Delta in Oudergem, Ukkel-Stalle, Diesdelle and Moensberg in Ukkel all have fewer than 500 passengers/weekday.
Some smaller stations, including Merode, Arcaden, Brussels-Congres and Delta have no services at the weekend. Despite the very low number of passengers using some stations in Brussels NMBS says that it has no plans to close any of the capital’s stations.