The network and vehicles

The new generation

STIB has attached great importance to the ecological performance of its vehicles for many years now. When purchasing its new buses, it has always tried to pre-empt the strictest European standards on harmful emissions. Today, by purchasing electric and hybrid buses, it is firmly focusing on alternative technologies to traditional diesel engines. This energy transition will help to make Brussels a greener city.

The trams and metro trains are powered by 100% green electricity, which means that they do not produce any polluting emissions. The metro trains also recover a large amount of their electricity when braking.

STIB also attaches great importance to passenger comfort. The new vehicles are equipped with an air cooling system and particular attention has been paid to the comfort of the seats and the layout of the interior space. Low boarding platforms and wide doors provide easier access for all passengers, including those with reduced mobility, and each vehicle has a place reserved for wheelchairs and pushchairs.

STIB's new generation of buses, trams and metro trains is also characterised by its elegant design, the work of the Antwerp designer Axel Enthoven. In 2005, he created a completely new look for the 3000 and 4000 trams, and this look has now been adapted for metro trains and buses. His inspiration came from the colours and lines of Art Nouveau. The metallic grey base colour distinguishes these models from all other vehicles.

The STIB lines and routes

STIB’s lines/routes stretch over approximately 650 km, including

• 40 km of metro lines
• 147 km of tram lines
• 468 km of bus routes

Some 2,190 stops across the entire Brussels-Capital Region and its boroughs are served by STIB.

Since April 2007, STIB has been operating a night bus network: Noctis. On Fridays and Saturdays, 11 bus routes operate from twenty past midnight (00:20) until after 3 a.m. in the morning. They run from the centre of Brussels to the outer reaches of the Brussels-Capital Region.

The Noctis network is designed for inhabitants of Brussels, who want to make a leisurely night of it, for tourists and other visitors, as well as night workers.  Since 2008, this night time service has been supplemented by Collecto, a shared taxi system, which operates on weekdays between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.

A metro train for the future

Designed by CAF, the "Boa" metro trains, which are 94 metres long, enable STIB to cope with the constant increase in passenger numbers. Moreover, no less than 43 new M7 trainsets will be put into service on our lines in the coming years.

A new generation of trams

Approximately 400 trams circulate in Brussels every day. Since 2006, STIB has expanded its fleet with new generation T3000 and T4000 series of trams. These high capacity vehicles are effective, easily accessible and quiet. The majority of the oldest trams are gradually being replaced by these new vehicles.

Nineties «new generation» trams have been ordered. They will be progressively injected on the STIB network by the end of 2025.

Electric and hybrid buses

By testing 7 fully electric «Citybuses» on its network, STIB clearly turns to energy transition of its bus fleet towards innovating and even more ecological technologies. These Citybuses ride on line 33, that serves the city centre and connect the upper and lower parts of the city.

Five electric standard buses, that charge batteries in the depot, have been put into service. There are also 25 electric articulated buses that recharge batteries overnight at the depot and also during the route, thanks to fast loading posts at the terminus.

At last 402 hybrid buses (standard and articulated) run in the streets of Brussels.

Minibuses

Since September 2014, STIB also has a new fleet of 12 minibuses for transporting people with reduced mobility, as part of its specific on demand transport service, Taxibus.