Flemish bus company De Lijn is now only offering a single new bus line after it scraps existing buses 316, 318 and 616 from 2025. The new R81 will trundle through Moorsel to Brussels’ North Station every half hour on weekdays and every hour on weekends in both directions.
“From January 2025, a bus will run every half hour during the week and every hour during the weekend. The R81 will not run via Wezembeek-Oppem, but via Moorsel,” De Lijn’s Frederik Wittock told Tervuren+. “The 819, which only runs during rush hour, will instead run via Wezembeek-Oppem and no longer via Moorsel. In short, Moorsel will retain a fixed line with service throughout the day,” he said.
“Line R81 connects from Leuven to Brussels, not to the airport. For a connection to the airport, there is line 71 that already runs today, not through Moorsel, but from Tervuren/Wezembeek-Oppem and Sterrebeek,” Wittock said.
“This change is reassuring for every resident who does not have a driving license or car. Pressure from town hall and Moorsel residents ultimately achieved a reasonable solution,” said transport alderman Bram Peters and also Flemish green candidate for mayor in October elections.
“De Lijn is changing plans for Moorsel’s benefit. This is thanks to Moorselaars showing up en masse at De Lijn’s information evening [on 21 February]. If citizens are listened to then a great deal of things become possible. Participation works,” said Flemish liberal Thomas Geyns, also a candidate for the post of mayor.
Mayor Marc Charlier, who recently announced his campaign for reelection, talked of over three years of emails to De Lijn’s boss. Flemish nationalist NV-A’s Marc also pointed to “massive support”of Moorsel residents leading to an “acceptable” solution. “We can only be happy about this,” he said, claiming the decision maintains the “7/7 accessibility of Moorsel with the bus”.
Former FC Moorsel player Dirk De Vos added it never looked good. “But by playing together we made the difference for Moorsel,” said Dirk, also a candidate for Flemish nationalist NV-A in 2018.
Non-politicals appear less cheerful about Moorsel getting only one bus in return for the three scrapped. And on top of that, the new R81 goes to Brussels’ gloomy North Station. Deprived Moorsel will now have no bus going straight to Kraainem metro or the airport. The loss of bus 616 alone terminates the popular service to the airport from Leuven, via Moorsel, which started in 2007.
Given the negative outcome, Moorsel’s natives can only have mixed feelings about being cut off from Tervuren town hall, the airport and also the tram station by bus from 1 January 2025.
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