How to avoid the busiest hours on our network
Your safety is our top priority. Nowadays, avoiding travel during the busiest hours helps us to remain safe. Discover the expected occupancy* on our network through 3 Q&A: this way, you will be able to adapt your trip whenever possible. You will also soon have access to more detailed information on our app. We are doing our utmost to ensure you a carefree journey. Together, let's improve your comfort and respect the distancing rules!
The collected data stems from systems for detecting passages installed at the gates in the stations and on the doors of the vehicles for the buses and trams. Within this framework, we do not collect any personal information and the data are totally anonymous (counting a number of passages).
See the occupancy of my line or station ➔
*Based on a cross referencing of the data of the previous weeks and the seasonal background.
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When should I travel?
We recommend that you travel in the morning (until noon) instead of the afternoon. In the present circumstances, everyone's behaviour has changed and the occupancy on our network is currently higher in the afternoon. In the past, this was the case during the weekends, but now, it is also the case during the week. The chart below presents the evolution of the current occupancy on our network compared to the occupancy before the Covid 19 crisis.
Globally, the occupancy is about 10-15% lower than before the start of the Covid-19 crisis.
During the school year, the morning and evening peaks are very high. To avoid peak times, we recommend that you travel outside these periods (from 7.30 to 8.30 am and from 3.30 to 6 pm).
When is our network the busiest during the week?
Data and calculations: STIB-MIVB - Network Data Analytics
Source: Incoming passages recorded by the gates at the entrance of the stations during the school period weekdays between 12/09 and 20/12/2022 compared to the period before the Carnival holiday of 2020 (before the lockdown).
Which are the busiest stations?
Do you want to avoid large crowds? Thanks to our occupancy ranking, you will be able to avoid the busiest stations. This data is based on the entrance and exit rates in the stations. It does not include connections. That is why a station such as Arts-Loi/Kunst-Wet is left out of the ranking, seeing 80% of its occupancy consists of connections.
Seven stations alone represent almost 1/3 of the occupancy: Gare du Midi/Zuidstation, De Brouckère, Simonis, Rogier, Montgomery, Gare de l’Ouest/Weststation and Porte de Namur/Naamsepoort
This information is not available for the stations Gare Centrale/Centraal Station, Delacroix, Gare du Nord/Noordstation and Horta.
What are the busiest stations during the week?
Data and calculations: STIB-MIVB - Network Data Analytics
Source: Incoming passages recorded by the gates at the entrance of the stations during the school period weekdays between 12/09 and 20/12/2022.
Lines occupancy
Currently, 40% of our bus and tram fleet is equipped with passage sensors, which allow us to count the number of people on board. STIB-MIVB aims at gradually install this type of sensors on every bus and tram by 2025.
Does your favourite line have sensors*? Click here to check the best hour to travel safely!
See the occupancy of my line or station ➔
* Not every vehicle of each line of the network is equipped with these passage sensors.