5.2 billion euros to enhance mobility
More than ever before, the government of the Brussels-Capital Region has decided to prioritise public transport in order to improve the quality of life in the city. The 2025 target is to have more metros, trams and buses and less congestion, pollution, stress and noise nuisances.
Our projects
The ambitious plan of 5.2 billion EUR is to streamline the network while extending it and increasing its density. All these actions will allow for more direct journeys, reduce the waiting time and make the public transport in Brussels even more accessible. From bus to tram and from tram to metro: every mean of transport will benefit from the major financial manna. This will turn public transport into a city life philosophy instead of a constraint.
List of links
New Bus Plan
Moving towards a more mobile Brussels
The bus network structure of STIB remained the same for more than 30 years. With the population of Brussels increasing again, the new neighbourhoods developing and an ever more densifying urban traffic, STIB has worked on a definitely ambitious plan for its bus routes. The projet plans to intensify the frequencies, reduce the waiting time and improve the connecting services. This network, also named "Bus Plan", is currently the subject of an important consultation / information campaign for the population.
For more information, visit www.planbus.brussels
Its execution is expected in the near to medium-term future, i.e. in approximately 2 to 3 years, the time to acquire the necessary rolling stock.
In total, on all 50 bus lines the current STIB network counts, 15 lines will remain identical, 33 lines will undergo at least one route modification and 2 lines will be deactivated (or more specifically taken over by other lines). What's more, 4 new lines will be created.
More buses
More buses for a better service in Brussels
Fleet renewal
Investment: 332 million EUR
The average life span of a bus is approximately 15 years. In that sense, the fleet is practically continuously renewed since it is composed of no less than 700 vehicles. As new connections are planned within the framework of the Bus Plan, the number of active vehicles should grow even more. Over 200 buses will been ordered as soon as possible with a special attention for the environment. STIB is currently analysing whether the bus manufacturers have the capacity to deliver electric buses. The delivery is planned for 2017.
New depots
Investment Petite Île : 14 million EUR
To accommodate this new bus fleet, STIB has built a new depot, "Petite Île", of which the works are now at the final stage in Anderlecht. The new depot can accommodate 155 standard and articulated buses. A second depot should also be erected with at least the same capacity in the north of the agglomeration. Its precise location is currently being studied so that it can be optimised and integrated in the city.
New trams for the future Brussels
Modernisation
Total investment: 266 million EUR
Nowadays, a majority of new generation trams service Brussels, but over 100 vehicles still date from the 1970s. With their narrow doors, their interior steps and natural signs of ageing, these trams do not meet the customers' expectations any more, who are increasingly used to the modern trams. These 100 trams will be replaced by the latest generation vehicles that are bigger and especially more comfortable. Bigger information screens, more validators, new seating set-up and multimodal space (PRM, strollers, bikes) will round off their design.
An agreement has been signed with Bombardier to order 175 new trams. The first 60 vehicles will be delivered from spring 2020.
New depots
Total investment: 130 million EUR
Longer trams also mean more seating and, as such, the need for new depots.
A first depot, named Marconi, was being constructed alongside the chaussée de Ruisbroek in Uccle for a budget of 67 Mio EUR. It will accommodate the parking and maintenance of 75 T3000 trams (32m).
At the same time, the studies have started for the construction of a second new depot on the car park of Palais 12 at the Heysel. On the fringe of the NEO project and the extension of lines 3, 7 and 9, this unit will allow the accommodation and the daily maintenance of about 30 trams by 2025 at the latest.
Better service in the north and east
Total investment: 81,5 million EUR
Brussels is a living and moving city where the demand for travel increases, which is why new tram lines will complete the current network by 2025. For now, two projects for new tram lines are already under way.
The creation of line 9 between Simonis and the upper parts of Jette, passing by the university hospital (UZ Brussel) and the extension of line 94 from Musée du Tram until the metro station Roodebeek, will cost 11 Mio EUR. In the process its extension until the Marcel Thiry avenue at the Cora store of Woluwe will follow.
For more information, visit www.tram9.brussels.
New metro trains
Enhanced frequency
Investment: 531 million EUR
40 years after their first activation, the metro lines are now gradually being modernised in terms of trains as well as infrastructure. The speed control system will be renewed, allowing for the passage interval between each train to go from 150 seconds to 120 seconds. Alongside the joint section of both lines (being from Gare de l'Ouest to Merode), the passages will increase from 24 to 30 per hour.
The M7s, our new metro trains with a resolutely stylish design, will join our fleet to ensure this new offer and gradually replace the old orange trains. The contract, signed in October 2016, provides for a first tranche of 22 trains.
At an initial stage, 43 new trains will be ordered. To secure accommodation and maintenance, a new depot will be built beyond the current Erasmus terminus in Anderlecht, precisely below the Henri Simonet boulevard.
A long expected metro
Total investment: 1,4 billion EUR
The demand for public transport between the city centre and the north of the region is estimated at more than 6.000 travellers per hour. The metro extension towards Schaerbeek and Evere will allow to absorb this ever growing customer base in this part of the city.
To do so, the current north-south pre-metro axis will be converted into a metro and the tunnel will be extended for more than 4 km beyond Brussels-North until Bordet, near the S station of the SNCB. This way 7 new stations will be created.
This will also require the replacement of the current small station Lemonnier, which was built for trams in 1958, by a new station below the Stalingrad avenue with a revised route near the surroudings of Brussels-South. The Albert station will be transformed into a real connecting service station.
In order to ensure the service of this new infrastructure, more metro trains will have to be ordered and a new depot will be built in Haren, alongside the already existing bus and tram depots.
Simultaneously, the gradual renovation program of the 69 existing stations will be continued as well as the replacement program for the older escalators.
At the end of complex renovation works for the stations Arts-Loi, Rogier and Schuman in 2016, as important infrastructure and/or renovation work sites will be launched for the stations Bourse, De Brouckère (east-west axis) and Gare Centrale.
Moreover, the conversion of the north-south pre-metro axis into a metro axis by 2021 and the creation of the new tram line 9 will allow the stations Albert and Simonis to benefit also from a thorough revision.
At the same time, the works meant to develop the accessibility to the metro in Brussels for the PRM will be finalised in 2019.
Among the 575 escalators that are placed in the 69 current stations, the older ones were put into service for the first stations in 1969. Within their current renewal program, the region and STIB will replace 14 units per year. These replacements will be planned according to a priority list seeking to improve the reliability of these mechanical stairs in the best possible way.