The Brussels Metro is a rapid transit system serving a large part of the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium. It consists of four conventional metro lines and three premetro lines. The metro-grade lines are M1, M2, M5, and M6 with some shared sections, covering a total of 39.9 kilometres (24.8 mi), with 59 metro-only stations. The premetro network consists of three tram lines that partly travel over underground sections that were intended to be eventually converted into metro lines. Underground stations in the premetro network use the same design as metro stations. A few short underground tramway sections exist, so there is a total of 52.0 kilometres (32.3 mi) of underground metro and tram network. There are a total of 69 metro and premetro stations as of 2011.
The North–South connection is a railway link of national and international importance through central Brussels, Belgium, that connects the major railway stations in the city. It is line 0 (zero) of the Belgian rail network. With 1200 trains a day, it is the busiest railway line in Belgium and the busiest railway tunnel in the world. It has six tracks and is used for passenger trains, or rarely for a maintenance train when work is to be done on the railway infrastructure inside the North–South connection itself, but not for freight trains. It is partially underground and partially raised above street level.
The Brussels tramway network is a tram system serving a large part of the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium. It is the 16th largest tram system in the world by route length, in 2017 providing 149.1 million journeys over routes 140.6 km (87.4 mi) in length. In 2018, it consisted of 18 tram lines. Brussels trams are operated by STIB/MIVB, the local public transport company.
Simonis and Elisabeth are two interconnected stations on the Brussels Metro serving line 2 and line 6 on two different levels. Additionally Simonis is a railway station operated by the National Railway Company of Belgium (NMBS/SNCB) and a tram stop.
Beekkant is a Brussels Metro station located in the municipality of Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, in the western part of Brussels, Belgium. It opened on 8 May 1981 as part of the Sainte-Catherine/Sint-Katelijne–Beekkant extension of former line 1, and was for a year, until 6 October 1982, the western terminus of the metro. Then, following the reorganisation of the Brussels Metro on 4 April 2009, it is served by lines 1, 2, 5 and 6.
The Brussels tram route 23 was a Brussels tram route operated by STIB/MIVB in Brussels, Belgium. It ran between Vanderkindere, which was also the terminus for tram route 24 and where passengers could commute with tram routes 3, 4 and 92, and the Heysel/Heizel metro station, which offers transit with the Brussels metro line 6, tram route 51 and bus routes 84 and 88. Since March 14, 2011 the newly formed tram 7 follows the same route as tram 23, but with a much higher frequency. Because of the frequency being brought up to 'metro' level, its line number was altered to the lower regions, for those are the metro and so-called 'Chrono' tramlines. Tram 24 was also taken over completely by the newly formed tram 7.
The premetro and tram route 3, is a tram route operated by STIB/MIVB, which connects connects the Esplanade stop with the Churchill stop in the southern municipality of Uccle. The line is named after the planned Metro line 3, which is set to service most of the current route of tram line 3. The line was temporarily disbanded, but returned in service on 30 June 2008. The colour of the signage for this line is lime-green.
Brussels has an extensive network of both private or public transportation means. Public transportation includes Brussels buses, trams, and metro, as well as a set of railway lines and railway stations served by public trains. Air transport is available via one of the city's two airports, and boat transport is available via the Port of Brussels. Bicycle-sharing and car-sharing public systems are also available. The city is relatively car-dependent by northern European standards and is considered to be the most congested city in the world according to the INRIX traffic survey.
Tram route 81 in Brussels, Belgium, is a tram route operated by STIB/MIVB, which connects the Marius Renard stop in the municipality of Anderlecht with the multimodal Montgomery metro station in Woluwe-Saint-Pierre. The route also crosses the municipalities of Saint-Gilles, Ixelles, the City of Brussels and Etterbeek. It connects with the Metro at Saint-Guidon/Sint Guido, Brussels-South, Merode and Montgomery. The route also crosses the major tram routes 3 and 4 at Horta. A good deal of its length is in carriageway, while long sections at either end are in reservation. It has a short section in tunnel at Brussels-South.
The Brussels tram route 55 is a tram route in Brussels, Belgium, operated by STIB/MIVB, which connects Bordet railway station in the municipality of Evere, north-east of Brussels, to Rogier metro station in the City of Brussels. The route also crosses the municipalities of Saint-Josse and Schaerbeek. The route was cut in the 2000s with STIB/MIVB willing to reduce the number of tram routes riding in the North–South Axis. Prior to this, the route went on up to the southern municipality of Uccle at the Silence stop. A part of this section is now served by Brussels tram route 51.
The premetro and tram route 4 in Brussels, Belgium, is a tram route operated by STIB/MIVB, which connects the Stalle Parking stop in the southern municipality of Uccle to Brussels-North railway station in the municipality of Schaerbeek. It was created on 2 July 2007 as a new route between Esplanade and Stalle Parking. On 31 August 2009, the route was shortened with a new terminus at Brussels-North, while line 3 was expanded between Brussels-North and Esplanade. The colour of the signage for this line is pink.
The tram route 19 in Brussels, Belgium, is a tram route operated by STIB/MIVB, which connects the Flemish town of Groot-Bijgaarden in the municipality of Dilbeek to the De Wand stop in Laeken in the City of Brussels.
The tram route 44 in Brussels, Belgium, is a tram route operated by STIB/MIVB, which connects Montgomery metro station in the municipality of Woluwe-Saint-Pierre to the Flemish municipality of Tervuren, almost exclusively by running on the Avenue de Tervueren/Tervurenlaan.
The tram route 51 in Brussels, Belgium, is a tram route operated by STIB/MIVB, which connects Heysel/Heizel metro station in the City of Brussels to the Van Haelen stop in the municipality of Uccle. The route runs north–south, crossing the City of Brussels, Jette, Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, the City of Brussels again, Saint-Gilles, Forest and Uccle. Currently, service is interrupted between Brussels-South railway station and Altitude Cent/Hoogte Honderd due to construction work at Albert premetro station.
The tram route 82 in Brussels, Belgium, is a tram route operated by STIB/MIVB, which connects Berchem-Sainte-Agathe railway station in Berchem-Sainte-Agathe to Drogenbos Castle in the Flemish municipality of Drogenbos. After 8 p.m., the route terminates at Brussels-South railway station, with connections to Drogenbos provided by tram route 32.
Line 1 is a rapid transit on the Brussels Metro in Belgium operated by STIB/MIVB. It has existed in its current form since 4 April 2009, when the former line 1B, which ran between Stockel/Stokkel and Erasme/Erasmus, was shortened to Gare de l'Ouest/Weststation. The section between West station and Erasme is now served by line 5. The line serves 21 metro stations, and has a common section with line 5 between West station and Mérode station, and with lines 2 and 6 between West station and Beekkant. At Arts-Loi/Kunst-Wet the line also connects with lines 2 and 6. Railway connections are possible at Brussels-Central railway station, Schuman station, Mérode and West stations. The line crosses the municipalities of Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, Koekelberg, City of Brussels, Etterbeek, Woluwe-Saint-Pierre and Woluwe-Saint-Lambert.
Line 2 on the Brussels Metro is a rapid transit line in Brussels, Belgium operated by STIB/MIVB. It exists in its current form since April 4, 2009, when the section between Delacroix metro station and Gare de l'Ouest/Weststation was opened, which allowed to close the loop from and to Simonis/Elisabeth. The configuration of the Simonis/Elisabeth metro station though does not allow trains on the line 2 to be able to perform the loop several consecutive times in the same direction, i.e. a train running clockwise from Elisabeth will have to run counterclockwise from Simonis. The two termini of line 2 have thus received different names: originally Simonis (Elisabeth) and Simonis , changed in November 2013 to Elisabeth and Simonis. Between the Yser/IJzer metro station and the Porte de Hal/Hallepoort station, the line runs under the small ring road of Brussels, which is itself built on the former Second walls of Brussels.
Line 5 on the Brussels Metro is a rapid transit line operated by STIB/MIVB, which connects Herrmann-Debroux at the south-east of Brussels to Erasme/Erasmus at the south-west via the city centre. It exists in its current form since April 4, 2009, when the section of former line 1A between Beekkant and King Baudouin was replaced by the section of former line 1B between Beekkant and Erasme. Starting from Herrmann-Debroux, the line crosses the municipalities of Auderghem, Etterbeek, City of Brussels, Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, Koekelberg and Anderlecht. It serves 28 metro stations and has a common section with line 1 between Gare de l'Ouest/Weststation and Mérode station, and with lines 2 and 6 between West station and Beekkant. At Arts-Loi/Kunst-Wet the line also connects with lines 2 and 6. Railway connections are possible at Brussels-Central railway station, Schuman station, Mérode and West station.
The premetro and tram route 7 in Brussels, Belgium, is a tram route operated by STIB/MIVB, which connects the Vanderkindere stop in the southern municipality of Uccle with the Heizel/Heysel stop in Laeken in the City of Brussels, where connecting services of tram route 51, Metro line 6, as well as bus routes 84 and 88 depart. The colour of the signage for this line is bright yellow.
