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The Brussels Métro started as a pré-métro system which could be compared to German Stadtbahn systems (Cologne, Stuttgart, Essen, Hannover, etc.) with important sections of underground tunnels used by various tram routes. In 1969, the first tram tunnel along today's line 1 was opened between Schuman and De Brouckère, and in 1970 today's line 2 between Madou and Porte de Namur. Today lines 1A, 1B and 2 are operated as full metro lines whereas the north-south city tunnel and the outer ring tunnel in the east are still used by trams with low station platforms.

A 2.7 km extension of Line 1B from Bizet to Erasme Hospital opened in Sept. 2003 (4 new stations: La Roue/Het Rad, CERIA/COOVI, Eddy Merckx and Erasme/Erasmus). The last 800 m and Erasme/Erasmus station are on the surface. All stations have a central platform which is directly accessible from street level without a mezzanine. At CERIA/COOVI a carpark with 1200 places was built.

The Brussels Metro is operated by STIB/MIVB (Societé des Transports Intercommunaux de Bruxelles) also responsible for a tram network 133 km long ( 12 km of which are in tunnels).

Line 1 began as a full metro line in 1976 and grew steadily on both ends with two branches on each side (1A and 1B)(24.7 km):

20 Sep 1976: De Broukère - Beaulieu and Tomberg
13 Apr 1977: De Broukère - Sainte-Catherine
17 Jun 1977: Beaulieu - Demey
08 May 1981: Sainte-Catherine - Beekkant
07 May 1982: Tomberg - Alma
06 Oct 1982: Beekkant - Saint-Guidon and Beekkant - Bockstael
23 Mar 1985: Demey - Herrmann Debroux
10 May 1985: Bockstael - Heysel
05 Jul 1985: Saint-Guidon - Veeweyde
31 Aug 1988: Alma - Stockel
10 Jan 1992: Veeweyde - Bizet
25 Aug 1998: Heysel station put underground and line 1A extended to Roi Baudouin
15 Sep 2003: Bizet - Erasme

Line 2 grew along the inner ring road as a pré-métro line until 1985 when it was eventually adapted for full metro operation (7.5km):

02 Oct 1988: Simonis - Gare du Midi
18 Jun 1993: Gare du Midi - Clemenceau
04 Sept 2006: Clemenceau - Delacroix

The North-South Prémétro (shown as Line 3 on older maps) went underground 1976 between Gare du Nord and Lemonnier; extended further to Albert in Dec. 1993 and now operated as a tram tunnel.

The Outer Ringroad Prémétro Line (on older maps Line 5) crossing line 1 at Montgomery was opened between 1972 (Diamant) and 1975.

 Projects

In Sept. 2000 an extension of Line 2 from Clemenceau to Beekkant via Delacroix was announced.

In 2008, when the missing section between Delacroix and Gare de l'Ouest is completed, the entire network will be restructured:

Line 1: Gare de l'Ouest - Stockel

Line 2: Simonis (low level) - Simonis (high level)

Line 5: Erasme - Herrmann-Debroux

Line 6: Roi Baudouin - Simonis (high level) - Gare de l'Ouest - Gare du Midi - Simonis (low level)

Ceria - Eddy Merchx - La Roue - Bourse - De Broukere (2004 © Robert Schwandl)

Visit the Brussels Metro Gallery

Brussels, the capital of Belgium, is also one of the official capitals of the European Union with most institutions having their headquarters here. The city (about 1 million inh.) is right in the centre of the country and bilingual: French and Flemish, the Belgian variant of Dutch, therefore station names are also bilingual.

Operation

The Brussels Metro operates from 5.00 to 1.00 and trains run every 7 minutes.

Fares (2008, in Euros)

All JUMP tickets are valid on metro, buses (STIB, De Lijn, TEC), trams or suburban trains (SNCB) and have to be validated each time you get on a bus, tram or metro:

JUMP Single ticket - EUR 1.50
JUMP 5-ride ticket -EUR 6.70
JUMP 10-ride ticket - EUR 11.00
JUMP Day-pass - EUR 4.00 (all modes)

3-Day Ticket (STIB lines only) - EUR 9.50