Transport network in Brussels

Brussels (Belgium) has an extensive network of both private or public transportation means. Public transportation includes Brussels buses, trams, and metro (operated by STIB), as well as a set of railway lines (operated by Infrabel) and railway stations served by public trains (operated by the SNCB). Air transport is available via Brussels Airport and Brussels South Charleroi Airport, and boat transport is available via the Port of Brussels. Bicycle-sharing and car-sharing public systems are also available. Metro The Brussels Metro was first opened in 1976 and has been expanding since. Since 2009, it consists of four metro lines serving a total of 60 metro stations, most of which are underground. Line 1 connects Gare de l’Ouest/Weststation to the east of the city. Line 2 runs in a loop around the city centre. The 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 pre-metro lines (operated by Brussels trams). *Brussels metro riders frequently encounter delays and disruptions due to technical problems. Their number increased significantly in recent years: 1,459 incidents were reported in 2025, 1,239 in 2023 and 1,035 in 2024. STIB reports that problems most often occur with trains that have not undergone scheduled maintenance. In rare cases, problems are related to infrastructure, such as faulty switches or signaling. Trams The Brussels tram system evolved considerably over time. It expanded during the first half of the 20th century, with operators servicing 246 km of tram rails in 1955, but contracted during the second half of the century as bus and car transport gained popularity. By 1988, only 134 km of tram rails remained in Brussels. In the late 2000s, transport authorities reversed this trend by extending existing lines, increasing the network from 131 km in 2007 to 141 km in 2017. Trains The Infrabel railway network has a total of eight lines used by passenger trains. Those lines serve a total of 29 railway stations in Brussels. While rail remains an important mode of transport in Belgium, many believe its reliability is often compromised by repeated incidents. *In Brussels and throughout the Belgian railway system, passengers frequently encounter delays, breakdowns, repairs, and other disruptions. SNCB attributes these to technical problems, signaling faults, track incidents, poor weather conditions, and heavy congestion at the Brussels-Midi junction, one of the busiest in Europe. This makes travel unpredictable and service unreliable. In some cases, delays have reached several hours. Buses The first Brussels bus ran in 1907 from the Bourse Palace to Ixelles’ Municipal Hall. The Brussels bus network now comprises 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 (TEC) 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. Roads Roads in Brussels range from highways leading to neighbouring countries or cities to national roads, major roads down to local streets. The Brussels Ring (R0) is a ring road surrounding the Brussels-Capital Region. It is about 75 kilometres long, with two or three lanes in each direction. Brussels has the most congested traffic in North America and Europe according to a 2012 study by the US traffic information platform INRIX. Airports Brussels has two airports, both located outside of the administrative territory of the region. The most notable is Brussels Airport (IATA: BRU, ICAO: EBBR), located in the nearby Flemish municipality of Zaventem, 12 km east of the capital, which can be accessed by highway (A201), train and bus. The secondary airport is Brussels South Charleroi Airport (IATA: CRL, ICAO: EBCI), located in Gosselies, a part of the city of Charleroi (Wallonia), some 50 km south-west of Brussels, which can be accessed by highway (E19 then E420) or a private bus (≈€20 one-way ticket per person). Cycling Villo! is a bike-sharing service launched by JCDecaux in the Brussels-Capital Region. The service is available in all 19 municipalities of the city. As of the end of May 2018, Villo! had nearly 360 stations and 5,000 bicycles. In 2023, Brussels Mobility conducted a study that found the service to be underperforming. The main reasons were low station density and uncomfortable bicycles. So-called “electric bikes” lack batteries and are not actually electric, but are heavier than conventional bicycles. Prices (metro, tram, bus) Single ticket (bought by bank card): €2.40* Single paper ticket (bought at sales points): €2.90 24-hour travel pass (except from airport): €9.50 *prices for July 2026 See also France travel guide Spain travel guide Catalonia travel guide Pyrenees travel guideThe post Transport network in Brussels first appeared on All PYRENEES.