Brussels Central Station metro station renovation on schedule for 2027

The extensive renovation works at the Central Station metro station in the heart of Brussels should be completed by the autumn of 2027. The works are thus on schedule. The metro station, one of the oldest in Belgium (1969), will receive a facelift, new spaces, and improved accessibility for people with reduced mobility.

With 50,000 passers-by a day, Central Station is one the busiest metro stations in Brussels and an important hub for commuters from Flanders and Wallonia.

88% more surface area

The works, which began in 2022 and are being carried out by MIVB/STIB, Brussels Mobility, and Beliris (a cooperation agreement between the federal and Brussels-Capital Region), are currently in the third and penultimate phase, which consists of extending the station.

A 3,500 m² extension has already been completed under Rue Ravenstein, and a second one will be built on the side of Rue Cardinal Mercier. The final phase, scheduled for late 2025 to fall 2027, aims to renovate the station’s interior.

In total, the station will gain 3,500 m² after the works, a quasi-doubling of the current surface area. Level -1 (Kiosk) will increase from 1,600 to 3,500 m², while level -2 (platforms) will be 4,300 m², compared to the current 2,500 m². Upon completion of the works, the station will offer 88% more surface area than today.

Brighter and more modern

Two accesses will be removed to make way for two new ones, better positioned to meet travelers’ needs. Thus, access via Mount Warande will be removed in favor of access via Rue Ravenstein and Rue Cardinal Mercier, which will be equipped with elevators. The entrances to Rue de Loxum will be retained.

All these interventions should not only enhance the station and its comfort but also make it brighter (thanks to more light), more modern, and more accessible. So, there will be an additional elevator and two escalators per platform instead of one now. The equipment will also be modernized, and many new services may be added, such as stores, an MIVB/STIB sales point, entrance gates, and some works of art.

€35 million cost

To bring all that to fruition, a lot of material is needed, including 590 tons of steel and 3,500 m³ of concrete. According to MIVB/STIB, the steel used is equivalent to roughly 36,000 Manneken Pis statues, and in total, they will have excavated 30,000 tons of earth for the extension, comparable to two-thirds of the monument of the Lion of Waterloo.

The above-ground space around the station will also be redeveloped, including green spaces, which should make connections to bus services smoother.

Throughout the duration of the works, Central Station will remain open and served. Only the corridor between MIVB/STIB station and MNBS/SNCB station had to be closed for a few days for safety reasons. The total cost of the renovation project is 35 million euros.