Major improvement works for Gare Centrale metro station

Major progress has already been made in works on the Gare Centrale metro station, which are expected to last until autumn 2027.

Gare Centrale was first inaugurated in 1969, and this is the first time the station has been renovated on this scale.

“The first objective is to improve passenger comfort by offering more space, more light and space for shops,” said civil engineering project manager Christophe Dumonceau.

To achieve this, the surface area of the station will be doubled from 1,600m² to 3,500m² on level -1 (where the ticket office is located), and from 2,500m² to 4,300m² on the platforms.

The station sees 50,000 passengers a day, making it one of the busiest in Brussels transit company Stib’s network.

Apart from improvements to passenger comfort, works aim to also extend the station and provide better accessibility for people with reduced mobility, namely through wider platforms and new lifts and escalators.

The entrances on Rue Montagne du Parc will be removed in favour of entrances on Rue Ravenstein and Rue Cardinal Mercier, where the lifts will be located.

Lastly, the works will enable the station's technical facilities, which have not been renovated since 1969, to be modernised.

“The challenge of these works is to enlarge the station, which will almost double in size, while keeping the metro running and having as little impact as possible on passengers, local residents and surface traffic,” said Stib spokesperson Cindy Arendt.

“Renovating the station is also an opportunity to make it more accessible and easier for passengers to switch from the metro to the train and bus.”

The works began in March 2022 and are now in the third and penultimate stage.