Brussels Metro

The Brussels Metro (French: Métro de Bruxelles [metʁo də bʁysɛl]; Dutch: Brusselse metro [ˈbrʏsəlsə ˈmeːtroː]) is a rapid transit system serving a large part of the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium. It consists of four conventional metro lines and three premetro lines. The metro-grade lines are M1, M2, M5, and M6 with some shared sections, covering a total of 39.9 kilometres (24.8 mi), with 59 metro-only stations. The premetro network consists of three tram lines (T4, T7, and T10) that partly travel over underground sections that were intended to be eventually converted into metro lines. Underground stations in the premetro network use the same design as metro stations. A few short underground tramway sections exist, so there is a total of 52.0 kilometres (32.3 mi) of underground metro and tram network. There are a total of 69 metro and premetro stations as of 2011. The Brussels Metro was planned at the beginning of the 1960s to become a fully underground network. The original network, running between De Brouckère and Schuman, was inaugurated on 17 December 1969 as premetro tramways, which were later, in 1976, converted into the common section of the first two metro lines. These lines were then considered a single line with two branches, between De Brouckère and Tomberg and De Brouckère and Beaulieu. On 4 April 2009, with the completion of the "loop" of line 2 connecting Delacroix and Gare de l'Ouest/Weststation, the Brussels Metro was significantly reorganised. The Brussels Metro is administered by the Brussels Intercommunal Transport Company (STIB/MIVB). In 2011, it was used for 125.8 million journeys, and it was used for 138.3 million journeys in 2012. It is also an important means of transport, connecting with six railway stations of the National Railway Company of Belgium (NMBS/SNCB), and many tram and bus stops operated by...