Brussels-Luxembourg Station
Encyclopedia
Brussels-Luxembourg railway station is a station in the European Quarter
of Brussels
under the Esplanade of the European Parliament
(part of the European Parliament
complex in Brussels
).
and Gare du Midi). It was however designed as an intermediate stop, rather than a full terminus as the other two stations. It was built to service the new Leopold Quarter
, hence its original name Gare du Quartier Leopold.
During the 19th century the station was divided into sections to differentiate the three different classes of travel. The station was extended in 1899 and 1921 with single storey pavilions, which were then amalgamated in 1934, when the facade was standardised.
. The tracks were covered over and moved underground during the 1990s. The station's old building was partly demolished in 2004, with the central entrance building being incorporated into the Parliament's complex as an informa tion office. The entrance to the station is now a few metres to the south, via stairs descending down from the esplanade or via a ground floor entrance through Parliament's József Antall building on Rue de Trèves.
The station, completed in 2009, is now entirely underground, although it has been designed to allow a maximum of natural light in. Stained glass windows from the original structure were incorporated in the new building. It now covers 16,000 square meters and is owned and operated by National Railway Company of Belgium. The same architect consortium responsible for the Parliament, Atelier Espace Léopold, were responsible for the station's redesign.
Brussels-Luxembourg is scheduled to become an important hub on the new Brussels RER
network.
According to its 2004 planning document, STIB, the Brussels transportation authority, has long term plans to open a Brussels metro
stop at the station. There is congestion along the main metro route running through the European quarter, and there are too many transfers being made at Arts-Loi station. To relieve this, a branch would be directed from Merode
to Troon
, via Brussels-Luxembourg station. There may be a further metro line running south-west from the station to serve Ixelles, Chaussee de Waterloo, and Vanderkindere. In this case, the station would become one of the major transfer points of the Brussels metro system. The plan also hopes to make the railway stations of the city more inter-connected, allowing for easier transfers from Gare du Midi, Schuman station
, and Luxembourg.
Brussels and the European Union
Brussels is considered to be the de facto capital of the European Union, having a long history of hosting the institutions of the European Union within its European Quarter...
of Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
under the Esplanade of the European Parliament
Esplanade of the European Parliament
The Esplanade of the European Parliament, or simply the mall, is a pedestrian mall in Brussels , completed in 2002.-Position:...
(part of the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
complex in Brussels
Espace Léopold
The Espace Léopold or is the complex of parliament buildings in Brussels housing the European Parliament, a legislative chamber of the European Union ....
).
History
The station was built between 1854 and 1855 by the Grande Compagnie de Luxembourg as part of the Brussels-Luxembourg railway line it was constructing. The lead architect was Gustave Saintenoy. He designed it in a neo-classical style in keeping with Place de Luxembourg which was designed at the same time. The station was Brussels' third, after those built in the Allée Verte and Rue des Bogards (which would eventually become Gare du NordBrussels-North railway station
Bruxelles-Nord / Brussel-Noord is one of the three major railway stations in Brussels; the other two are Brussels Central and Brussels South...
and Gare du Midi). It was however designed as an intermediate stop, rather than a full terminus as the other two stations. It was built to service the new Leopold Quarter
Leopold Quarter
The Leopold Quarter is a quarter of Brussels, Belgium. Today the term is sometimes confused with European Quarter, as the area has come to be dominated by the institutions of the European Union and organisations dealing with them, although the two terms are not in fact the same, with the Leopold...
, hence its original name Gare du Quartier Leopold.
During the 19th century the station was divided into sections to differentiate the three different classes of travel. The station was extended in 1899 and 1921 with single storey pavilions, which were then amalgamated in 1934, when the facade was standardised.
Reconstruction
Prior to its reconstruction, the station was open air with its station building facing onto Luxembourg Square. It was redesigned as a subsurface station to make way for Parliament and a pedestrian link between Luxembourg Square and Leopold ParkLeopold Park
Parc Léopold or Leopoldspark is a public park located within the Leopold Quarter of Brussels, adjacent to the Paul-Henri Spaak building, the seat of the European Parliament....
. The tracks were covered over and moved underground during the 1990s. The station's old building was partly demolished in 2004, with the central entrance building being incorporated into the Parliament's complex as an informa tion office. The entrance to the station is now a few metres to the south, via stairs descending down from the esplanade or via a ground floor entrance through Parliament's József Antall building on Rue de Trèves.
The station, completed in 2009, is now entirely underground, although it has been designed to allow a maximum of natural light in. Stained glass windows from the original structure were incorporated in the new building. It now covers 16,000 square meters and is owned and operated by National Railway Company of Belgium. The same architect consortium responsible for the Parliament, Atelier Espace Léopold, were responsible for the station's redesign.
Future
Brussels RER
The Brussels RER is a rapid transit system under construction in Belgium. It will offer fast connections and increased frequency within 30km of Brussels, covering a territory inhabited by 2.5 million people.-Overview:...
network.
According to its 2004 planning document, STIB, the Brussels transportation authority, has long term plans to open a Brussels metro
Brussels Metro
The Brussels Metro is a rapid transit system serving a large part of the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium. It consists of a network with four metro line services with some shared sections. The metro has 49.9 km of network and 59 stations...
stop at the station. There is congestion along the main metro route running through the European quarter, and there are too many transfers being made at Arts-Loi station. To relieve this, a branch would be directed from Merode
Mérode station
Merode is a railway and metro station in Brussels, Belgium. The metro station is located in the municipality of Etterbeek , under the "Porte de Tervueren/Tervuursepoort," which is the start of Avenue de Tervueren, a major street in Brussels...
to Troon
Trône/Troon metro station
The Trône/Troon metro station is an Brussels metro station on the southern segment of line 2. It opened as a premetro on 20 December 1970 under the name of Luxembourg. The station became a heavy metro on 2 October 1988 and its name changed to its name to reflect the neighboring Place du...
, via Brussels-Luxembourg station. There may be a further metro line running south-west from the station to serve Ixelles, Chaussee de Waterloo, and Vanderkindere. In this case, the station would become one of the major transfer points of the Brussels metro system. The plan also hopes to make the railway stations of the city more inter-connected, allowing for easier transfers from Gare du Midi, Schuman station
Schuman station
Schuman station is a railway and metro station in the City of Brussels. The metro station opened in 1969 and serves the European quarter of Brussels.-Metro:...
, and Luxembourg.