De Brouckère station
Encyclopedia
De Brouckère is a Brussels rapid transit station
consisting of both a metro
station (serving lines 1 and 5) and a premetro (tram
) station (serving lines 3 and 4).
station (i.e., with tramways instead of metros
), part of the first underground line in Belgium
, then going from De Brouckère to Schuman
. In 1976, this premetro line was converted into a metro line that was later split into two distinct lines in 1982: lines 1A and 1B, both of which served De Brouckère. On 4 April 2009, metro operation was restructured so that lines 1 and 5 now serve the station.
Since 1976, De Brouckère has also been served by the North-South Axis, which is part of the premetro system. Lines 3 and 4 provide most service on this axis.
. The station lies near the famous Hotel Metropole, the UGC De Brouckère cinema
, the La Monnaie/De Munt theatre
and one end of the Rue Neuve / Nieuwstraat
. The whole complex is also connected to the underground shopping galleries
between the Place de la Monnaie / Muntplein and the Boulevard Anspachlaan.
. The metro station is located under the Rue de l'Évêque / Bisschopstraat and was renovated in 2005.
The metro station serving lines 1 and 5 is known to have one of the widest gaps between the metro train
s and the platform, as this station is curved to follow the alignment between the neighboring Central station
and Saint Catherine metro station
. For safety reasons, the curved platform edges are equipped with flashing lights to warn passenger
s of the gap.
Brussels Metro
The Brussels Metro is a rapid transit system serving a large part of the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium. It consists of a network with four metro line services with some shared sections. The metro has 49.9 km of network and 59 stations...
consisting of both a metro
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
station (serving lines 1 and 5) and a premetro (tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
) station (serving lines 3 and 4).
History
The station was inaugurated on 17 December 1969 as a premetroPremetro
A premetro is a tramway or light railway which includes segments built to rapid transit standards, usually as part of a process of conversion to a metro railway, mainly by the construction of tunnels in the central city area...
station (i.e., with tramways instead of metros
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
), part of the first underground line in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, then going from De Brouckère to Schuman
Schuman station
Schuman station is a railway and metro station in the City of Brussels. The metro station opened in 1969 and serves the European quarter of Brussels.-Metro:...
. In 1976, this premetro line was converted into a metro line that was later split into two distinct lines in 1982: lines 1A and 1B, both of which served De Brouckère. On 4 April 2009, metro operation was restructured so that lines 1 and 5 now serve the station.
Since 1976, De Brouckère has also been served by the North-South Axis, which is part of the premetro system. Lines 3 and 4 provide most service on this axis.
Area
The station is named after the city square above ground, which itself is named after the former mayor of Brussels Charles de BrouckèreCharles de Brouckère
Jonkheer Charles Joseph Marie Ghislain de Brouckère was a Belgian nobleman and liberal politician.Born in Bruges, elder brother of future Prime Minister of Belgium Henri de Brouckère, Charles entered politics in the period when modern Belgium formed the southern part of the United Kingdom of the...
. The station lies near the famous Hotel Metropole, the UGC De Brouckère cinema
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
, the La Monnaie/De Munt theatre
La Monnaie
Le Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie , or the Koninklijke Muntschouwburg is a theatre in Brussels, Belgium....
and one end of the Rue Neuve / Nieuwstraat
Rue Neuve (Brussels)
Rue Neuve or Nieuwstraat is a pedestrian street in Brussels' city center. It is the most popular shopping area in Belgium by number of shoppers...
. The whole complex is also connected to the underground shopping galleries
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
between the Place de la Monnaie / Muntplein and the Boulevard Anspachlaan.
Station
The premetro station, located under the Place De Brouckèreplein, is connected to the metro station by a moving walkwayMoving walkway
A moving walkway or moving sidewalk is a slow moving conveyor mechanism that transports people, across a horizontal...
. The metro station is located under the Rue de l'Évêque / Bisschopstraat and was renovated in 2005.
The metro station serving lines 1 and 5 is known to have one of the widest gaps between the metro train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
s and the platform, as this station is curved to follow the alignment between the neighboring Central station
Central station (Brussels)
Bruxelles-Central / Brussel-Centraal is a metro and railway station in Brussels, the capital city of Belgium. It is the busiest train station in Belgium and one of three principal train stations in Brussels, but handles primarily domestic traffic...
and Saint Catherine metro station
Saint Catherine metro station
Sainte Catherine/Sint Katelijne is a Brussels metro station in the City of Brussels, Belgium. It is located between the "Quai aux Briques/Baksteenkaai" and the "Quai du Bois à Brûler/Brandhoutkaai," near the church of St. Catherine, which gives the station its name...
. For safety reasons, the curved platform edges are equipped with flashing lights to warn passenger
Passenger
A passenger is a term broadly used to describe any person who travels in a vehicle, but bears little or no responsibility for the tasks required for that vehicle to arrive at its destination....
s of the gap.
External links
- Station ID - De Brouckère, bsubway.net