Transport in Brussels
Encyclopedia
Transport in Brussels can be made by means of many private or public transportation means. Private transportation means include bicycle, car and taxi, which use the public network of roads in Brussels, as well as boat transport using the Brussels-Scheldt Maritime Canal
and the Brussels-Charleroi Canal
. Public transportation means include Brussels buses
, trams
, the Brussels metro
(all three operated by the STIB
as well as a set of railway lines (operated by Infrabel
) and railway stations served by public trains (operated by the SNCB). Bicycle-sharing and car-sharing public systems are also made available to people willing to move in Brussels. One can also move from or to Brussels with the plane, via one of the two city's airports (the Brussels National Airport and the Brussels-South Charleroi Airport) or with the boat, via the Port of Brussels.
The complexity of the Belgian political landscape make some transportation issues difficult to solve. The Brussels Capital Region is surrounded by the Flemish
and Walloon regions, which means that the airports, as well as many roads serving Brussels (most notably the Brussels Ring
) are located in the other two Belgian regions. Furthermore, in the Brussels Region itself, two ministers are currently competent for transport: Brigitte Grouwels for public transport and the port of Brussels and Bruno De Lille for other transportation topics.
The Brussels metro was first opened in 1976 and has been expanding since, to comprise as of 2009 a set of 4 metro lines serving a total of 60 metro stations, most of them being underground. Line 1 connects the Brussels-West station to the East of the city. Line 2 runs in a loop around the city centre. Line 5 runs between the West to the South-East of the city via the centre. Line 6 connects the King Baudouin Stadium
at the north-west of Brussels, to the city centre, ending by a loop around the centre in the same way as line 2. Lines 3 and 4 are operated by major Brussels trams.
Brussels trams are an old transportation means in Brussels, operated by the STIB from 1954 on, but existing since 1869. The Brussels tram system evolved a lot over time, from a rise in the first half of the 20th century (246 km of tram rails were serviced in 1955) to a fall in the second half of the 20th century due to the popularisation of transport by bus and by car. In 1988 only 134 km of tram rails remained in Brussels. Finally, the reduced tram network was extended in the late 2000s with the extension of existing lines from 131 km in 2007 to 133 km in 2008.
. The Brussels-South railway station is a major station on the European High Speed train network
, being served by TGV
, Thalys
, Eurostar
and ICE high speed train services.
) and Flemish (De Lijn
) public transport companies also run in Brussels in order to allow Walloon and Flemish people to go to the capital city.
, E411
and E19
plus the A12 and A201 highways) to national roads, major roads down to local streets. Brussels is surrounded by the Brussels Ring
, and is crossed by two smaller orbital roads: the Greater Ring
and the Small Ring
.
Brussels buses, trams, taxis, cars and bicycles share the road network in Brussels. A car-sharing system is operated by the public company STIB with Cambio.
located in the neighbouring municipality of Zaventem
can be accessed by highway (A201), train and bus and the Brussels-South Charleroi Airport located between Brussels and Charleroi
in Gosselies
, which can be accessed by highway (E19 then E420) or a private bus.
and the Brussels-Scheldt Maritime Canal
.
has been made available to the public.
Brussels-Scheldt Maritime Canal
The Brussels–Scheldt Maritime Canal, also named the Willebroek Canal, is a canal in Belgium linking Brussels with the river Scheldt. The canal was known as the Brussels-Rupel Maritime Canal, prior to the establishment of a direct link with the Scheldt in 1997.The canal is one of the oldest...
and the Brussels-Charleroi Canal
Brussels-Charleroi Canal
The Brussels–Charleroi Canal, also known as the Charleroi Canal amongst other similar names, is an important canal in Belgium. The canal is quite large, with a Class IV Freycinet gauge, and its Wallonian portion is long. It runs from Charleroi in the south to Brussels in the north...
. Public transportation means include Brussels buses
Brussels buses
The Brussels buses network is complementary to the rail network in Brussels, Belgium, which is made of trams, metros and trains. Brussels buses are operated by STIB/MIVB, a public transport company...
, trams
Brussels trams
The Brussels tram system is one of the ten largest in the world, carrying some 75.6 million passengers in 2009. Its development demonstrates many of the quandaries that face local public transport planners...
, the Brussels metro
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...
(all three operated by the STIB
Brussels Intercommunal Transport Company
The Brussels Intercommunal Transport Company is the local public transport operator in Brussels, Belgium...
as well as a set of railway lines (operated by Infrabel
Infrabel
Infrabel is a Belgian government-owned public limited company. It was created on 1 January 2005 from the split of the once unitary SNCB/NMBS. It builds, maintains and upgrades the Belgian railway network, makes its capacity available to railway companies, and handles the train traffic control. ...
) and railway stations served by public trains (operated by the SNCB). Bicycle-sharing and car-sharing public systems are also made available to people willing to move in Brussels. One can also move from or to Brussels with the plane, via one of the two city's airports (the Brussels National Airport and the Brussels-South Charleroi Airport) or with the boat, via the Port of Brussels.
The complexity of the Belgian political landscape make some transportation issues difficult to solve. The Brussels Capital Region is surrounded by the Flemish
Flemish Region
The Flemish Region is one of the three official regions of the Kingdom of Belgium—alongside the Walloon Region and the Brussels-Capital Region. Colloquially, it is usually simply referred to as Flanders, of which it is the institutional iteration within the context of the Belgian political system...
and Walloon regions, which means that the airports, as well as many roads serving Brussels (most notably the Brussels Ring
Brussels Ring
The Brussels Ring numbered R0, is a ring road surrounding the city of Brussels as well as other smaller towns south of Brussels. The road is a circular highway road of about 75 km with 2 to 3 lanes in each direction...
) are located in the other two Belgian regions. Furthermore, in the Brussels Region itself, two ministers are currently competent for transport: Brigitte Grouwels for public transport and the port of Brussels and Bruno De Lille for other transportation topics.
Brussels metro
- main article: Brussels metroBrussels MetroThe 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...
The Brussels metro was first opened in 1976 and has been expanding since, to comprise as of 2009 a set of 4 metro lines serving a total of 60 metro stations, most of them being underground. Line 1 connects the Brussels-West station to the East of the city. Line 2 runs in a loop around the city centre. Line 5 runs between the West to the South-East of the city via the centre. Line 6 connects the King Baudouin Stadium
King Baudouin Stadium
The King Baudouin Stadium is a sports ground in north-west Brussels, Belgium. It was inaugurated on 23 August 1930 as the Stade du Jubilé or Jubelstadion in the presence of Prince Leopold. It was built to embellish the Heysel plateau in view of the Brussels International Exposition...
at the north-west of Brussels, to the city centre, ending by a loop around the centre in the same way as line 2. Lines 3 and 4 are operated by major Brussels trams.
Brussels trams
- main article: Brussels tramsBrussels tramsThe Brussels tram system is one of the ten largest in the world, carrying some 75.6 million passengers in 2009. Its development demonstrates many of the quandaries that face local public transport planners...
Brussels trams are an old transportation means in Brussels, operated by the STIB from 1954 on, but existing since 1869. The Brussels tram system evolved a lot over time, from a rise in the first half of the 20th century (246 km of tram rails were serviced in 1955) to a fall in the second half of the 20th century due to the popularisation of transport by bus and by car. In 1988 only 134 km of tram rails remained in Brussels. Finally, the reduced tram network was extended in the late 2000s with the extension of existing lines from 131 km in 2007 to 133 km in 2008.
Heavy rail
The Infrabel railway network has a total of 8 lines used by passenger trains, which lie partly of completely within the region of Brussels. Those 8 lines serve a total of 29 railway stations in Brussels, all of which offer a correspondance with one or more STIB bus, tram and/or metro lines. This system is planned to be upgraded to the Brussels RERBrussels RER
The Brussels RER is a rapid transit system under construction in Belgium. It will offer fast connections and increased frequency within 30km of Brussels, covering a territory inhabited by 2.5 million people.-Overview:...
. The Brussels-South railway station is a major station on the European High Speed train network
High-speed rail in Europe
High-speed rail is emerging in Europe as an increasingly popular and efficient means of transport. The first high-speed rail lines in Europe, built in the 1980s and 1990s, improved travel times on intra-national corridors. Since then, several countries have built extensive high-speed networks,...
, being served by TGV
TGV
The TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....
, Thalys
Thalys
Thalys is an international high-speed train operator originally built around the high-speed line between Paris and Brussels. This track is shared with Eurostar trains that go from Paris or Brussels to London via Lille and the Channel Tunnel and with French domestic TGV trains. Thalys reaches...
, Eurostar
Eurostar
Eurostar is a high-speed railway service connecting London with Paris and Brussels. All its trains traverse the Channel Tunnel between England and France, owned and operated separately by Eurotunnel....
and ICE high speed train services.
Buses
The first Brussels bus ran in 1907 from the Brussels Stock Exchange to the Ixelles city hall. The bus network in Brussels now comprise 360 km of bus line by day and 112 km by night as of 2008, and service the 19 municipalities of Brussels. Buses operated by the Walloon (TECTEC (transport)
Société Régionale Wallonne du Transport , is responsible for the supervision, strategic planning and marketing of a group of five regional public transport companies branded as TEC or "Transport En Commun" in Wallonia, Belgium. It is primarily a bus operator, but also operates the Charleroi tram...
) and Flemish (De Lijn
De Lijn
Vlaamse Vervoersmaatschappij De Lijn , usually known as simply De Lijn , is a company run by the Flemish government in Belgium to provide public transportation, similar to the way in which Belgian railroads or the postal system is run. It runs about 3650 buses and 359 trams...
) public transport companies also run in Brussels in order to allow Walloon and Flemish people to go to the capital city.
Roads
Roads in Brussels range from highways leading to neighbouring countries or cities(the European routes E40European route E40
European route E 40 is the longest European route, more than long, connecting Calais in France via Belgium, Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan, with Ridder in Kazakhstan near the border to China....
, E411
European route E411
European route E411 is a European route in Belgium connecting Brussels to Aubange, a town at the border between Belgium, France and Luxembourg via Namur and Arlon. The E411 starts in the municipality of Auderghem along the Beaulieu metro station, crosses the municipality on a viaduct, then crosses...
and E19
European route E19
European route E 19 is long European route. Its route begins in the Netherlands, and ends in France, via Belgium. Cities it passes en route include:* Netherlands: Amsterdam - Den Haag - Rijswijk - Rotterdam - Breda...
plus the A12 and A201 highways) to national roads, major roads down to local streets. Brussels is surrounded by the Brussels Ring
Brussels Ring
The Brussels Ring numbered R0, is a ring road surrounding the city of Brussels as well as other smaller towns south of Brussels. The road is a circular highway road of about 75 km with 2 to 3 lanes in each direction...
, and is crossed by two smaller orbital roads: the Greater Ring
Greater ring (Brussels)
The Greater Ring in Brussels, Belgium is a set of roads in the shape of a ring, intermediate between the small ring and the main Brussels ring...
and the Small Ring
Small ring (Brussels)
The Brussels small ring or inner ring road is a series of roadways in central Brussels, Belgium, surrounding the historic city centre. It was built on the site of the Second walls of Brussels, built in the 16th century, after they were torn down....
.
Brussels buses, trams, taxis, cars and bicycles share the road network in Brussels. A car-sharing system is operated by the public company STIB with Cambio.
Airports
Brussels is served by two airports, the Brussels National AirportBrussels Airport
Brussels Airport is an international airport northeast of Brussels, Belgium. The airport is partially in Zaventem and partially in the Diegem area of Machelen, both located in the Flemish Region of Belgium.Brussels Airport currently consists of 54 contact gates, and a total of 109 gates...
located in the neighbouring municipality of Zaventem
Zaventem
Zaventem is a municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. The municipality comprises the towns of Nossegem, Sint-Stevens-Woluwe, Sterrebeek and Zaventem proper. On January 1, 2006 Zaventem had a total population of 28,651...
can be accessed by highway (A201), train and bus and the Brussels-South Charleroi Airport located between Brussels and Charleroi
Charleroi
Charleroi is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. , the total population of Charleroi was 201,593. The metropolitan area, including the outer commuter zone, covers an area of and had a total population of 522,522 as of 1 January 2008, ranking it as...
in Gosselies
Gosselies
Gosselies is a section of the Belgian town of Charleroi within the Walloon region in the Province of Hainaut. It was a commune of its own before the merger of the communes in 1977. Gosselies is the home for the headquarters of Caterpillar Belgium, and Solar Turbines Europe....
, which can be accessed by highway (E19 then E420) or a private bus.
Water transport
Brussels has its own port and is crossed by the Brussels-Charleroi CanalBrussels-Charleroi Canal
The Brussels–Charleroi Canal, also known as the Charleroi Canal amongst other similar names, is an important canal in Belgium. The canal is quite large, with a Class IV Freycinet gauge, and its Wallonian portion is long. It runs from Charleroi in the south to Brussels in the north...
and the Brussels-Scheldt Maritime Canal
Brussels-Scheldt Maritime Canal
The Brussels–Scheldt Maritime Canal, also named the Willebroek Canal, is a canal in Belgium linking Brussels with the river Scheldt. The canal was known as the Brussels-Rupel Maritime Canal, prior to the establishment of a direct link with the Scheldt in 1997.The canal is one of the oldest...
.
Cycling
Since 2009 a bicycle-sharing system named Villo!Villo!
Villo! is a public bicycle rental programme in Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium.It was launched on 19 May 2009 in cooperation between the Brussels-Capital region and the company JCDecaux as a replacement of the former scheme Cyclocity, launched in 2006...
has been made available to the public.