Brussels Metro Has Carried 4.7 Billion Passengers Since Opening

Brussels’ metro has carried 4.7 billion passengers since it opened, a milestone that STIB plans to celebrate with a citywide anniversary program.

King Baudouin inaugurated the network on Sept. 20, 1976, before an enthusiastic crowd. Fifty years later, STIB and Brussels Mobility are inviting residents to mark the anniversary with activities, exhibitions, competitions, personalized cards and metro-themed socks.

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The metro has made 4.7 billion journeys since its creation.

The celebrations will culminate on Sept. 20, 2026, during Mobility Week and Brussels’ Car-Free Day. Events will take place across the network from Sept. 14 to 20, including a collaboration with the Royal Theatre of La Monnaie, a quiz, street-art performances, guided tours and a concert by the STIB choir and pianist Grégoire Gerstmans.

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The festivities will culminate on Sunday, Sept. 20, the anniversary of the inauguration of the Brussels metro and the date of Car-Free Day.

The Jacques Brel depot in Anderlecht will open to the public on Sept. 20. Visitors will be able to see how metro and bus operations work, meet staff, sit at the controls of a train and view technologies developed for future mobility. An historic bus will also be displayed, and officials will unveil a commemorative plaque at De Brouckère station.

STIB will distribute collectible cards in stations from Sept. 8 to 24. Some gold-colored cards will offer prizes, including an old “M” sign, metro-driving training or a one-year Brupass. The cards also highlight the work of STIB inspectors, who will hand them out after checking passengers’ tickets. Three free exhibitions will trace the network’s history at Botanique, in 18 stations and at another exhibition venue.

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If you want the complete collection of these cards dedicated to the history of our metro, you will have to be checked by STIB agents.