Brussels’ public transport company, STIB, is set to undertake significant maintenance work at Beekkant station in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, beginning this Friday night, November 9, and continuing through the long weekend until early Monday, November 11.
The planned replacement of two essential switches will interrupt service on metro lines 1, 2, 5, and 6, impacting a substantial number of passengers.
The work is being executed at the intersection of the four metro lines, necessitating service interruptions that will affect all metro traffic in the area.
Metro lines 1 and 5 will see suspensions between Weststation/Gare de l’Ouest and Zwarte Vijvers/Étangs Noirs, while lines 2 and 6 will be interrupted between Weststation/Gare de l’Ouest and Ossegem/Osseghem.
STIB aims to mitigate the inconvenience to commuters by scheduling this necessary maintenance during the public holiday, a time when metro usage tends to decrease.
According to STIB’s press release, the replacement of the switches is a critical part of the company’s regular maintenance program. “Two switches at Beekkant station must be replaced as part of regular network maintenance,” the statement noted.
In addition to the work on the switches, the pedestrian bridge linking Rue Alphonse Vandenpeereboom and Rue Dubois-Thorn will also be closed during this period for safety reasons.
Passengers are encouraged to utilize alternative transport options during the service interruptions. STIB is providing a shuttle bus that will operate between Weststation/Gare de l’Ouest and Zwarte Vijvers/Étangs Noirs, making stops at Ossegem/Osseghem and Beekkant.
Additionally, bus line 87 (running between Simonis and Beekkant) will be extended to Zwarte Vijvers/Étangs Noirs, including stops at Weststation/Gare de l’Ouest and Ossegem/Osseghem.
For those traveling towards the city center, passengers can catch lines 2 and 6 from either Simonis or Weststation/Gare de l’Ouest to Kunst-Wet/Arts-Loi, where they can transfer to lines 1 and 5 for connections to Herrmann-Debroux or Stokkel.
Similarly, passengers wishing to reach central Brussels can take lines 2 and 6 to Zuidstation/Gare du Midi or Rogier, followed by tram line 4 or 10 to De Brouckère.
Passengers can access detailed information about adapted routes and service alterations through STIB’s website and mobile app, which features an updated route planner.
The need for the switch replacements is grounded in safety and operational standards. The switches, which consist of iron rails, sleepers, and the ballast supporting them, are integral to the efficient functioning of the underground network.
On average, these switches require complete replacement every 45 years. The new switches being installed are designed to be more robust, require less maintenance, and are compatible with the modern signalling systems currently being implemented across the network.
STIB manages a total of 146 switches across its metro network, installed between 1976 and the early 2000s.
These components are strategically placed to facilitate metro access to depots and to enable U-turns in case of disruptions, underscoring their importance to overall network reliability.
Most maintenance work on the metro system is conducted at night, outside of operating hours; however, more extensive interventions like these necessitate longer periods of service disruption.
By strategically scheduling these repairs during public holidays, STIB aims to minimize the impact on daily commuters while ensuring the safety and reliability of Brussels’ metro services.
