A new police station is to open at Brussels South railway station tomorrow (Thursday 28 November). The station will be staffed by officers from the Federal Railway Police Service. Its opening hours will be the same as those of the railway station. Passengers that use Brussels South will be able to go to the police station if they have been a victim of crime or if they wish to report an incident that they might have witnessed.
The opening of the new police station comes after years of complaints from passengers and those that live and work around the station about crime both in the station itself and in the streets that surround it. Muggings, stabbings, thefts and the use of hard drugs, most notably crack, in and around the station have been widely reported in the media.
In September 2023 the now outgoing Federal Prime Minister Alexander De Croo (Flemish liberal) announced a plan of action to address the issue of crime in and around Brussels South railway station. The action plan included the opening of a police station at Brussels South, more police patrols and a ban on the consumption of alcohol in and around the station.
The police station is situated at the main entrance of the metro station in the railway station’s central hall. It is clearly recognisable thanks to the blue police logo on the wall outside it.
Main police station nearby
In addition to the new police station inside the railway station, the Brussels South Local Police Service is to move its main police station from its current location to a new site in the Tweestationsstraat in Anderlecht just 500 metres from the Brussels South railway station. This too such serve to improve security in the area around the station.