Brussels residents who rely on metro lines 2 and 6 for their daily commute have increasingly faced delays, breakdowns and interruptions in recent weeks.
According to STIB/MIVB, the city’s public transport operator, the combination of ageing infrastructure, extreme weather conditions and track intrusions is significantly impacting the reliability of service.
The metro network’s most persistent technical problems are linked to its oldest trains, which operate exclusively on lines 2 and 6 and are nearly 50 years old.
While efforts to modernise the fleet are ongoing, these older metro units are prone to wear and tear, particularly under the added stress of recent heatwaves.
“In some cases, the problems are caused by wear and tear that can sometimes be invisible,” STIB/MIVB spokesperson Laurent Vermeersch told The Brussels Times.
“Extreme weather conditions, such as the recent heatwave, are an additional constraint that can make the difference between a breakdown and no breakdown.”
Vermeersch explained that while the heat isn’t always the direct cause of breakdowns, it often acts as the “last straw” for components already nearing failure.
A frequent issue involves the simultaneous malfunctioning of identical parts across trains of the same age. “Since the wear and tear is comparable, some parts reach their limit in several trains at the same time,” he said.
Adding to the challenge is a growing number of incidents involving people on the tracks—more than 400 cases have been reported in 2024 alone.
These disruptions are notably more frequent on lines 2 and 6. Even if a person leaves the tracks quickly, it can take 20 to 30 minutes to restart services, as power must be shut down and the tracks inspected.
To address this, STIB/MIVB is testing structural solutions such as platform walls to prevent trespassing and is also ramping up preventive and enforcement measures.
Meanwhile, the operator continues with a large-scale modernisation programme. However, the process is slow due to operational constraints.
“For switches, we need a long weekend without service, which we do three times a year. For signalling, we occasionally close the metro a bit earlier,” Vermeersch said.
As part of its mitigation strategy, STIB/MIVB will increase the number of M6 trains—the network’s newest and most reliable vehicles—on lines 2 and 6 in the coming months.
These trains currently account for nearly half the fleet on these lines, with more to be added by early next year.
Despite the disruptions, STIB/MIVB stresses that its teams are working hard to improve reliability and ensure that the modernisation efforts lead to long-term benefits for commuters.
