Schuman station

Infobox Belgian railway station

---

opening=1969
telegraphiccode=FBSM
lines=Metro 1A and 1B
platforms=
aricode=

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

The Schuman metro station was first opened in 1969 as a "premetro" station (i.e., a station served by underground tramways). The metro then replaced the tramways on September 20, 1976. It is now served by the metro lines 1A and 1B.

Rail

The rail station (called "Brussel-Schuman/Bruxelles-Schuman") is an elevated station, though its northeastern end is "underground" as it enters a hillside. Its ticket office is located immediately next to the metro station; at one end of the railway station platforms, a stairway leads down to the Maelbeek/Maalbeek metro station. Trains travelling between Brussels South station and Namur and Luxembourg call at the station. The NMBS/SNCB code for the station is FBSM.

Renovation

The station is currently undergoing major renovation works, increasing the station's capacity by 2 extra tracks. These will connect to a tunnel to the Josaphat-Schaarbeek line, in order to offer direct quick connections to Antwerp, Leuven and Brussels Airport. With this third connection, the station will become one of Brussels' largest and have a new glass roof allowing more daylight into the station.

Area

This station is in the centre of the European quarter of Brussels, being adjacent to the Berlaymont building (headquarters of the European Commission), the Justus Lipsius building (Council of the European Union) and numerous other EU offices. The station is named after the area around the Schuman roundabout, which was named after Robert Schuman. The station sits on the Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat, a major city thoroughfare, and is close to Parc du Cinquantenaire/Warandepark.

External links

* [http://ifrancis.wordpress.com/2007/12/09/a-peek-on-the-future-schuman-station/ A peek on the future Schuman Station - December 9, 2007] ifrancis blog