Track walkers caused 95 hours of metro disruption in Brussels last year
The Brussels metro network was interrupted for about 95 hours last year due to people walking on the tracks, STIB reported in a press release on Friday. The public transport operator warned of a worrying increase in such incidents.
In 2024, metro traffic was halted for a total of 5,704 minutes because of track walkers, equal to about 10,440 kilometres not travelled. That is "roughly the distance as the crow flies between Brussels and Peru," the company said.
The number of people entering the tunnels rose from 381 in 2023 to 421 in 2024, an increase of 10.5 per cent. Compared to 2021, the number of incidents has jumped by 43 per cent. By the end of September 2025, nearly 280 cases had already been recorded.
Last year, STIB attributed this to a rise in the number of homeless people seeking shelter and drug addicts avoiding police checks.
Life-threatening behaviour
The company stressed that such behaviour not only delays passengers but also poses a serious risk to life, warning that "a metro does not have the grip of a vehicle on tyres. It can reach a speed of up to 72 km/h in a tunnel and up to 40 km/h when entering a station. It's an illusion to think you have time to see the metro coming and climb back on the platform."
In addition to the risk of collision, anyone stepping onto the tracks can be fatally electrocuted by the third rail, which carries 900 volts.
Passengers who see someone on the tracks are urged to notify dispatching immediately via the SOS kiosks on the platforms. The power can then be cut off to prevent a tragedy.
PHOTO © BELPRESS
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