Eureka moment at MIVB/STIB: the Brussels public transport company has made a breakthrough in the issue of noise pollution caused by the wheels of the new M7 metro trains.
The wheel manufacturer has developed new wheels that meet strict technical criteria. Production has already started, and delivery is scheduled for the last quarter of 2025, according to the newspaper La Dernière Heure.
The replacement itself will take several months, but the MIVB/STIB is hopeful that a significant improvement will be noticeable from the summer of 2026 onwards.
Abnormal wear
Two years after the arrival of the new M7 metro trains, which have been in service since July 2021, residents living along metro lines one between Montgomery and Rodebeek and line 5 between Erasmus and Herrmann-Debroux began to complain about noise and vibration nuisance caused by the trains.
Research by MIVB/STIB revealed that there was a problem with the wheels of these metro trains. Approximately half of the wheels were wearing abnormally quickly, causing them to become oval-shaped and generate noise pollution. This was due to a manufacturing defect.
As a result of this wheel wear, certain parts of the rails also showed abnormal wear, including so-called corrugation or wave wear, which causes extra vibrations in addition to noise.
CAF
MIVB/STIB also announced at the time that it was looking for a supplier who could deliver the correct wheels to solve the problems. According to La Dernière Heure, MIVB/STIB has now found a solution: the manufacturer has developed new wheels, and positive tests have now been carried out.
The manufacturer of the M7 metro trains is the Spanish company Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF). CAF is responsible for the construction of the entire metro trains, including the wheels, at its factory in Beasain, Basque Country.
CAF was recently in the news when Belgian public transport company NMBS/SNCB decided to designate it as the preferred bidder for the purchase of new trains, a contract worth a billion euros.
Legal proceedings not suspended
The delivery of these new wheels is expected in the last quarter of 2025, after which they will be replaced in stages. MIVB/STIB expects a reduction or at least a significant improvement in noise pollution from summer 2026 onwards.
MIVB/STIB had taken temporary measures against the noise pollution, such as grinding the tracks and wheels to reduce contact noise. For several weeks, tests were also carried out at night to limit the speed between Montgomery and Tomberg stations.
Legal proceedings have been initiated against the noise pollution. According to La Dernière Heure, these legal proceedings are not currently suspended.
