Brussels approves €3 million initial funding for security and cleanup at Midi and Nord stations

Phase one approval and multi-year funding

The Brussels regional government gave its formal approval on Thursday to the first phase of the Station Plan, initiating a dedicated program to tackle conditions at Brussels-North and Brussels-Midi railway stations. Brussels Minister-President Boris Dilliès announced the decision following the cabinet meeting, confirming an immediate allocation of €3 million for 2026. The spending program will expand over the remainder of the legislature, with regional funding set at €5 million in 2027 followed by €10 million in each of the final two years of the parliamentary term. Dilliès noted that the regional executive is addressing the decline of the two transport hubs during its first year in office, promising visible changes in the near term.

With the implementation of the first phase of the Station Plan, we are keeping our word: in the very first year of the legislature, we are tackling the deterioration of the two major Brussels stations. In the coming weeks you will begin to see concrete results.

Deep cleaning and sanitation operations

Sanitation initiatives in the initial phase rely on a comprehensive, one-off cleaning and disinfection campaign carried out by a specialized external contractor across both stations and their perimeter. To prevent conditions from deteriorating again after the initial intervention, regional waste agency Bruxelles Propreté will purchase dedicated cleaning and disinfection machinery to maintain hygiene standards. At Brussels-Midi, municipal operations will focus directly on the covered street where the STIB tram stop operates. That covered thoroughfare will undergo intensive scrubbing, receive updated modern lighting, and get a fresh coat of paint on surrounding walls. The regional government designed these joint sanitation steps to return both railway facilities to an optimal state of cleanliness for regular commuters and nearby residents.

Surveillance upgrades and public space security

Safety measures under the 2026 budget focus on replacing and optimizing obsolete surveillance cameras operating inside and outside both Brussels-North and Brussels-Midi. The regional administration will also upgrade the central video surveillance platform that pools camera feeds from across the entire Brussels-Capital Region. This central platform serves emergency response teams as well as public transit operators, including Brussels Mobility and public transport company STIB. Public spaces surrounding the stations that have historically invited drug trafficking will be redesigned and refreshed. These physical changes aim to disrupt illicit drug dealing and help local neighborhood residents and daily transit passengers reclaim public areas.

Social assistance and urban planning

Alongside policing and sanitation, the regional initiative expands social outreach for vulnerable populations congregating near both rail hubs. Authorities will deploy reinforced mobile social patrol teams to locate and support homeless individuals in the immediate vicinity of the stations. Regional daytime reception centers near Brussels-North and Brussels-Midi will simultaneously increase their intake capacity to provide daytime shelter and assistance. The regional executive plans to broaden the program from 2027 onward through targeted urban planning modifications and dedicated oversight by structural working groups.

One thing is certain: Brussels must never allow its stations to fall into such a state again.