Eurostar terminal in Brussels to get facelift and expansion
The Eurostar terminal at Brussels Midi is undergoing major renovations that will last until summer 2025, l’Echo reports.
2.2 million passengers a year travel on Eurostar’s Brussels-London route, with the Brussels terminal acting as the border between the UK and Belgium and the whole of the Schengen free travel area.
The Channel Terminal, where checks on security and identity take place before passengers board, currently lacks space and comfort. The works are intended to improve the passenger experience.
The renovation will double the number of seats to 600. Other planned work will improve toilet facilities and lighting, while new food outlets will also be added, covering an additional 200 square metres.
Work will also begin on infrastructure for the new European Entry/Exit System, or EES. This semi-automatic border control system will use facial recognition to check and register all passengers from non-EU and non-Schengen countries. No date has been set for the introduction of this method, which will replace stamps in passports.
This second phase of the renovation will also see an increase in the terminal’s area. All the work should be completed by summer 2025, according to Belgian rail operator SNCB, which is financing the improvements but would not say how much has been invested.
© BELGA PHOTO JAMES ARTHUR GEKIERE
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