A suspect bag was discovered at Brussels-North station this late Wednesday afternoon. This discovery prompted the police to intervene and evacuate the station shortly before 7 p.m. Disturbances still affect the network.
Federal police indicate that the suspect bag was destroyed by the Removing and destruction of explosive devices (SEDEE). “After investigation, it seems that it was a case with, among other things, batteries, cables and solar panels,” said the federal police.
The station was reopened around 9 p.m. The owner of the bag was arrested during the control of the package.
Around 9 p.m., the situation gradually returns to normal on rail. Some disturbances and delays are still to be noted, but everything should gradually normalize.
Traffic interrupted between Brussels-North and Brussels-Midi
During the evening, the traffic of trains was interrupted between Brussels-North and Brussels-Midi. Some trains have been diverted, notably via Schaerbeek.
The return to normal is gradually done, confirms a spokesperson for the SNCB. Infrabel and SNCB follow the instructions of the authorities.
The SNCB invites commanders to listen to the ads at the station, consult the screens or plan their trip to SNCB.BE or the SNCB app.
The Stib, for its part, reported significant disturbances on several tram lines, including lines 4, 10 and 55, due to the situation at the station. Around 9:00 p.m., it also indicated that the situation gradually normalized on its network.
Alternatives for commuters to Zaventem airport
If you travel to Brussels Airport-Zaventem, SNCB offers you these two alternatives:
- You can, with your train ticket, take the Bus from Lijn R26 between Brussels-Nord and Brussels Airport.
- The trains between Brussels-Luxembourg, Brussels-Schuman (Metro STIB Correspondence Lines 1 and 5), Bordet and Brussels Airport-Zaventem normally circulate.