Schaerbeek mayor Bernard Clerfayt and his Mobility Councillor Denis Grimberghs want to meet with the federal Mobility Minister François Bellot and the new SNCB boss Sophie Dutordoir. Mrs Dutordoir’s predecessor, Jo Cornu, said the company would not add a RER station to the new Verboekhoven station, built as part of the North Brussels metro project.
The North Brussels metro extension project means there will be a new station near Verboekhoven place (Cage des Ours) in Schaerbeek. This station could also serve as an RER (Regional Express Network) station. It’s what the commune wants, and it is even included in the Regional Sustainable Development Plan (PRDD). Beliris also included it in its October 2016 project for the station.
However, Mr Cornu said in a letter that an RER station would not be possible at this location for technical reasons, according to Mr Clerfayt and Mr Grimberghs.
“It’s up to politicians to make their minds up. Either we definitively abandon the RER project, or we get ourselves the means to do it, with a focus on investment! The commune backs our cause. Regional authorities must want it as well, as they planned for an RER station in their PRDD. Regional authorities must argue their case and step it up a notch to defend Brussels residents”, the mayor said. He also called on the federal government, which controls Beliris, to be coherent. “As they are in charge of the project through Beliris, the issue needs to be resolved before we submit a request for a planning permit and start the impact studies and public opinion polls for this project”.
(Source: Belga)
