Stib and SNCB keep stations open for homeless as temperatures plunge

Brussels public transport operator Stib and Belgian railway company SNCB are keeping spme stations open during freezing weather so that homeless people have somewhere warmer to spend the night.

Both operators emphasised that stations are not equipped to accommodate people long-term - Stib stations in particular do not have toilets or heating - and that this is only an "emergency solution" because there are not enough places in regular shelters.

The cold spell that has seized Belgium resulted in the coldest Christmas Day in 15 years, with temperatures regularly dropping below zero at night in recent weeks.

The train stations of Brussels-Midi, Antwerp-Central, Ghent-Sint-Pieters and Liège-Guillemins will therefore remain open at night on an exceptional basis until further notice.

“We don't want to send anyone out into the cold at closing time,” said Dimitri Temmerman, spokesperson for SNCB.

Stib spokesperson Laurent Vermeersch said that people who stay overnight in stations must meet a number of conditions. For example, they are not allowed to stay in the paid zones, where a valid transport ticket is required, such as on the platforms.

They must also not cause any nuisance to passengers and must stay in areas monitored by cameras, so that the security services - who will be patrolling - can intervene if necessary.

The Includo social welfare teams of the Brussels public transport company will try to engage in dialogue with homeless people who seek shelter in stations in order to see if a more structural solution is possible.

In Brussels, 65 additional shelter places have recently been opened by Samusocial and the Red Cross this winter.