Public transports in Brussels are evolving, and that's a good thing.
New RER for 2012
The Belgian Railway is now working on a RER network (like in Paris) for the Belgian capital and the Brabant region. It will have 8 lines and should be operational for 2012. Some notable improvement include :
- Brussels National Airport will be on line 3 linking Leuven to Braine-l'Alleud via Brussels-Schuman, Etterbeek and Uccle. Current trains only go to the 3 main stations of Brussels (North, Central, South).
- Line 2 will connect Nivelles to Louvain-la-Neuve via central Brussels.
- Lines 4 and 7 will circumnavigate the East and South of Brussels from Vilvoorde to Hal, via Evere, Etterbeek (Merode, Delta) and Uccle. Line 4 will continue northward to Mechelen and eastward to Gerardsbergen.
- Better use of the central Chapelle and Congres stations with traffic from lines 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6.
Click here for the network map
New Metro for 2008
The STIB (metro-tram-bus company) had previously announced that it would revise the organisation of the Brussels Metro for the first time since its completion, changing the lines from a 1A, 1B and 2 scheme to a 1 to 5 scheme (so creating 3 new lines). The current line 2 will become a "circle line" around the city centre doubled by a line 6 which will continue northward to Laeken (a bit like the combination of Circle and District lines in London). The pre-metro (underground tramway) lines between the North and South Stations will be combined in a single line 3 continuing to Churchill. Line 1B will be renamed line 1 and will run between Stockel and the West Station (so shorter than now). Line 1A will become line 5 and wun between Erasmus and Hermann-Debroux. I haven't seen any mention of a line 4, although it is probably being planned if they have left a "4" in the middle.
New RER for 2012
The Belgian Railway is now working on a RER network (like in Paris) for the Belgian capital and the Brabant region. It will have 8 lines and should be operational for 2012. Some notable improvement include :
- Brussels National Airport will be on line 3 linking Leuven to Braine-l'Alleud via Brussels-Schuman, Etterbeek and Uccle. Current trains only go to the 3 main stations of Brussels (North, Central, South).
- Line 2 will connect Nivelles to Louvain-la-Neuve via central Brussels.
- Lines 4 and 7 will circumnavigate the East and South of Brussels from Vilvoorde to Hal, via Evere, Etterbeek (Merode, Delta) and Uccle. Line 4 will continue northward to Mechelen and eastward to Gerardsbergen.
- Better use of the central Chapelle and Congres stations with traffic from lines 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6.
Click here for the network map
New Metro for 2008
The STIB (metro-tram-bus company) had previously announced that it would revise the organisation of the Brussels Metro for the first time since its completion, changing the lines from a 1A, 1B and 2 scheme to a 1 to 5 scheme (so creating 3 new lines). The current line 2 will become a "circle line" around the city centre doubled by a line 6 which will continue northward to Laeken (a bit like the combination of Circle and District lines in London). The pre-metro (underground tramway) lines between the North and South Stations will be combined in a single line 3 continuing to Churchill. Line 1B will be renamed line 1 and will run between Stockel and the West Station (so shorter than now). Line 1A will become line 5 and wun between Erasmus and Hermann-Debroux. I haven't seen any mention of a line 4, although it is probably being planned if they have left a "4" in the middle.