16 direct trains from Holland to Brussels Airport in 2014

[Zorba]

why is the Bruges-Brussels-Leuven- Tongeren train not making a stop at the airport?

Because it would need to change direction ("kop maken") at the airport, driving in from the South and leaving to the South again. This is a complex operation, taking at least 20 minutes if my old memory serves.

It indeed takes a lot more time, but certainly not 20 minutes. The same train changes direction in Leuven and they have about 10 minutes there.

[convair]

Because it would need to change direction ("kop maken") at the airport, driving in from the South and leaving to the South again.

I thought the famous (and expensive!) diabolo was meant to avoid that constraint.

[Zorba]

Because it would need to change direction ("kop maken") at the airport, driving in from the South and leaving to the South again.

I thought the famous (and expensive!) diabolo was meant to avoid that constraint.

It does, for trains going to Mechelen/Antwerp.

[sn26567]

Because it would need to change direction ("kop maken") at the airport, driving in from the South and leaving to the South again.

I thought the famous (and expensive!) diabolo was meant to avoid that constraint.

It does, for trains going to Mechelen/Antwerp.

It could also do, for trains going to Leuven-Liège.

250px-Diabolo_project_fr.jpg (7.37 KiB) Viewed 733 times

[Passenger]

The problem is that Europe has obliged NMBS/SNCB to ask a surcharge for passengers using the new Diabolo tunnel to get to Brussels Airport railway station. It has to do with the financing of Diabolo.

[jan_olieslagers]

Not sure whether "Europe" has anything to do here - for this once, then. There certainly is a surcharge on all train tickets that use the Diabolo but I always understood this comes only from the private investors.