Belgium’s three most dangerous stations are in Brussels

The top three most dangerous railway stations in Belgium are all located in Brussels, according to new figures from federal mobility minister Georges Gilkinet (Ecolo).

Brussels-Midi, Brussels-North and Brussels-Central register the most criminal offences of all Belgian railway stations, Bruzz reports.

“These three stations are the three largest in the country, with the most passengers,” said SNCB spokesperson Dimitri Temmerman. “It’s logical that more incidents take place here.”

But Temmerman did point out a worrying trend: violence against SNCB staff is on the rise.

Last year, some 2,998 incidents took place in which railway staff were victims of aggression. Other common occurrences on and around the tracks include thefts, drug-related offences and violations of immigration laws.

During the first quarter of 2023, federal railway police recorded 1,323 incidents in Brussels-Midi, or about 15 per day – almost three times as many as in the other major Brussels stations.

Both Brussels-North and Brussels-Central stations recorded 518 and 466 incidents respectively.

Compared to Antwerp and Ghent, where 287 and 277 incidents were recorded in the first three months of last year respectively, the figures are high.

In the same period, there were 2,425 registered criminal offences in Brussels stations, compared to some 1,850 in all of Flanders.