A high-performing company

STIB aims to be a high-performing company. It wants to deliver a quality service that meets customer expectations.To do this, it manages its (human and financial) resources carefully and attentively and ensures it has the tools and resources it needs to continue promoting mobility in Brussels.

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Financial resources

Revenue

Net traffic revenue was €208.7 million in 2017. This represents an increase of 3% compared with the previous year. The vast majority of transport tickets are changing: traditional subscriptions, multi-journey tickets and school subscriptions. With regard to school subscriptions, the loss of income due to the price reduction for the first child (€50 instead of €120) was partially offset by the significant increase in the number of subscriptions sold.Advertising revenue increased by 14% and rental income by 7% thanks to the increased number of shops in metro stations. Miscellaneous revenue increased by 25%. This increase is linked in particular to surcharges, which have increased significantly due to the escalation and optimisation of checks and the improvement in the collection rate.

Expenditure

The business's operating expenses were €583.2 million. Salary costs (€445.8 million) were slightly up on 2016 following an increase in the workforce and the indexing of salaries.Maintenance, rental, traction energy and supply costs decreased (€102.8 million), primarily due to the decrease in rent following the property transaction at head office at the end of 2016.

Coverage ratio

STIB monitors the development of its "SEC" coverage ratio, calculated using the method recommended by the Institute of National Accounts. This ratio does not take into account expense and income items.In 2017, the coverage ratio of the company's expenses from its own income, excluding subsidies, reached 41.5%. Since 2014, the annual allocation that enables STIB to improve its transport offer has been considered a subsidy, not a transport service remuneration. It is therefore excluded from the calculation. Consequently, this has a downward impact on the coverage ratio as spending has increased at a faster rate than the traffic revenues, which do not cover all the transport costs.

Investments

5.2 billion
in investments
in 10 years

Developing infrastructures

STIB’s ridership is constantly increasing. The city is growing and travel habits are changing with it. This means that STIB must constantly adapt its transport offer. In 2017, it invested almost 228 million euros on developing its network. And it will not stop there.The network of the future will be denser, more efficient and even more accessible. To achieve this, in autumn 2015, the Brussels-Capital Region Government approved STIB's public transport development plan for the years 2015-2025. This ambitious plan provides for 5.2 billion in investments in 10 years for an extension to the metro, the purchase of additional vehicles, the construction of depots, etc.

Extension of tram 94

The major investments include the extension of line 94 from the Tram Museum to Roodebeek station. The construction of the new section of the line continued on Boulevard de la Woluwe in 2017. The redevelopment of the line is an opportunity to improve the overall quality of the public space.This link, which is due to open during 2018, will offer passengers a new direct connection with metro line 1 (Stockel-Gare de l’Ouest) and the STIB, TEC and De Lijn bus lines. Roodebeek Station will then become a real communications hub. With a view to this, work to redevelop the STIB, TEC and De Lijn stops has been carried out at Roodebeek.In a second phase, line 94 will be extended to Avenue Marcel Thiry, in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert. The aim is to create a major bypass to the east of Brussels.www.tram94.brussels

Construction of tram line 9

Another major project is the construction of the future line 9 to the west of Brussels, on which work continued throughout 2017. This new tram line, which is due to open during 2018, will connect Simonis and Les Hautes de Jette, via the University Hospital (UZ Brussels).There are already plans to extend the line to Heysel plateau, where a joint multimodal centre will be created for lines 3 and 7. This will facilitate connections between the three lines, creating a real bypass in the north of the city.www.tram9.brussels

Application submitted for Metro M3

An urban planning application for future metro line 3 was submitted in September 2017. The creation of this new line will allow STIB to meet the ever increasing demand for public transport in the north of the region. The current north-south pre-metro line will be converted into a metro line and the tunnel extended by more than 4 km beyond the Gare du Nord to Bordet. Seven new metro stations will be created.Beliris launched geotechnical tests in autumn 2017 to determine the quality of the soil and to carry out a more in-depth study. The results of these survey excavations will direct the technical choices for the infrastructures.The new north-south line will eventually be 10.3 km long and have 18 stations, making it possible to cross Brussels in around 20 minutes via the city centre.www.metro3.be

Increased service frequency
on lines 1 and 52 min 302 min1 min 30

New lease of life for the East-West line

To continue meeting the needs of the constant influx of passengers and increase its service frequency, STIB has launched a major modernisation programme for the east-west metro line that opened more than 40 years ago.Preparatory work for the installation of the new safety signs was carried out on lines 1 and 5. They comprised the installation of terminals to connect the new signage system to the existing equipment, the finalisation of the equipment on the new track switch in front of Erasme station, the construction of technical facilities and the installation of networks to support all the communication between the different components of the new signage.This new signage will make it possible to increase train frequency (currently 2 minutes 30 on lines 1 and 5 in rush hour) and so eventually double the metro's capacity. The commissioning of the new signage on the first section of lines 1 and 5 is scheduled for 2020.

Network maintenance

STIB is investing not only in work to extend and improve its transport services, but also in maintaining its existing infrastructures.There were several worksites to update tram lines in 2017. These are essential to ensure that the network remains safe. Current laying techniques - rubber coated rails laid on floating slab - also improve comfort for local residents when the trams pass through. In most cases, these works are an opportunity to enhance the surrounding public spaces through a complete redevelopment of the area.

Machined tracks: 51,91 kmTracks treated with
- anti-vibration cover: 6,16 km
- covered rails: 16,75 km

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Track replacement

In 2017, STIB updated the tram tracks on several major lines, including the crossroads of Boulevard Général Jacques and Avenue Buyl in Ixelles, and of Rond-point de l’Etoile and Avenue du Derby.The tracks have also been updated at the crossroads of Globe and Avenue Brugmann and on Chaussée d’Alsemberg (between Globe and Calevoet) in Uccle. New rails have been laid on Rue de Fiennes in Anderlecht. Lastly, the intermodal centre at Berchem-Sainte-Agathe station (bus-tram-train) has opened. This was the final part of the renovation of Chaussée de Gand.During all the major works, STIB continued its work to keep residents and traders informed and to support its customers.

More fluid public transport

The installation of the remote operation system for the signal lights became fully operational thanks to the additional staff allocated to this role at Bruxelles Mobilité. 238 crossroads were using the system at the end of 2017, which will improve the punctuality and regularity of buses and trams.Two mobility tests were carried out during 2017, also with a view to improving the flow of public transport. The circulation plan being tested around the Koekelberg Basilica did not provide any conclusive results. In Anderlecht, the test aimed to create a quiet zone in front of Saint-Guidon metro and on part of the Place de la Vaillance. The test had positive results for the quiet zone on "Cours St-Guidon", but less so for the removal of traffic from Place de la Vaillance. These results will make it possible to plan the redevelopment of the area in the medium-term.

Don't delay the buses!

One of STIB's priorities is improving mobility in the city. This is why more dedicated lanes have been added to the network over the last few years, to make the buses run more smoothly independently of car congestion and to offer customers a better service. However, many road users do not respect these dedicated bus lanes and use them to "save time", which delays the buses.This is why STIB decided to use fun posters and a radio commercials to encourage car drivers and other road users (lorries, coaches and motorbikes) to respect dedicated lanes and, more particularly, bus lanes. This campaign took place in autumn and comprised an awareness-raising phase followed by a period of increased checks, with a minimum €55 fine for offenders.

STIB updates and extends its fleet

In 2017, STIB tested three standard hybrid prototypes and three articulated prototypes with a view to acquiring hybrid buses (90 standard and 145 articulated).The STIB Board of Management also appointed the manufacturer Solaris to study, design, supply, install and prepare a fleet of 7 fully electric midibuses. These buses will be delivered during spring 2018 and will travel on the new urban line that will serve the centre of Brussels.The Board of Management also concluded a framework agreement for the delivery of five standard overnight-charging electric buses, whose batteries will be charged while the buses are at the depot.Lastly, Solaris will supply 25 articulated buses and their online recharging system. All terminals will have 2 fast-charging terminals, and 25 night charging terminals will be installed in the depot. These buses will arrive on the STIB network in mid-2019.

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Choosing the colour of the metro

The Brussels metro will change its image over the next few years, with the arrival of the future line 3 towards the north of the region and the increase in service frequency on existing lines. To provide these additional services, STIB has ordered additional vehicles from the Spanish company Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF). The first order is for the delivery of 43 new M7 metro trains, which will gradually appear on the network from 2019.What will they look like? In October, STIB asked passengers for their opinions on the appearance of the new trains. Two large-format photos of trains were displayed in the pre-metro station Albert for several weeks. One train was bronze and the other silver. Passengers could vote for their favourite look using a dedicated mini-website. 7,455 people voted, with 50.4% of voters choosing silver. The new trains will therefore be silver, to match the other STIB vehicles.

New depots are opening

If there are new vehicles, there must also be new depots to store and maintain them. In March, the Brussels authorities officially broke ground for the first time for the construction of the new Erasme metro depot in Anderlecht. This future depot, most of which will be underground and located next to Erasme station, will make it possible to store 23 trains and maintain seven vehicles at the same time.On the Haren site, work continued to construct the Maintenance Centre, which will be the central location for major servicing and repairs to buses, trams and metros. The work to construct the Marconi tram depot entered its final phase. This depot, built according to environmental standards, will house 75 trains and it will be possible to maintain ten trams at a time.STIB and the European Commission have finalised a land exchange agreement. STIB has taken ownership of land adjacent to its Haren depot, which will be the site of a new metro depot within a few years.

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Station renovations

Renovation work is underway at Bourse and De Brouckère (pre)-metro stations to improve the comfort of STIB customers. The focus will be on accessibility, safety, lighting and cleanliness. Both stations will also be equipped with large, secure bicycle parking areas. De Brouckère station will become the pedestrian gateway to the city centre. Waterproofing work has also been carried out. The pre-metro station, the metro station and the tunnel between the two stations have been renovated. A new entrance leading to the Centre Monnaie, is planned for the corner of Place de la Monnaie and Rue de l’Ecuyer.The mezzanine level of Bourse station will undergo a complete metamorphosis. The station accesses will be improved and a lift will be installed. The works of art by Pol Bury and Paul Delvaux will be given greater visibility and there will also be space for exhibiting other works of art.Bruxelles-Mobilité is responsible for the underground work in both cases, while Beliris will take care of the surface work (the redevelopment of the central boulevards).

The commercial offer in stations

STIB is continuing to commercialise the spaces available in its metro stations. It plans to offer passengers a wide range of relevant services as they travel through its infrastructures.Fifteen new shops opened in the Brussels metro in 2017, including several at Gare du Midi and Rogier. They offer a varied range of products such as a bakery, minimarket, fish bars, juice bars and cafes, card shops and female accessories, all intended to further improve the customer experience of Brussels public transport users.

15 new shops
opened in 2017

The service quality

100% of services certified

STIB has obtained CEN certification for its service quality for the fourth year in a row. The 4 metro lines, 17 tram lines and 50 bus lines have been certified, as have 12 sales outlets (BOOTIK and KIOSK), Customer Services and the Inspection of Transport Tickets service.

Quality initiatives

Quality initiatives are annual projects that the STIB implements primarily to benefit passengers.In 2017, the quality initiatives were based around improving:the feeling of safety (metro evacuations, security officials in stations, checking of tickets, etc.)information for passengers (pocket network plan, Customer Care in English, promotion of existing media, temporary information media, etc.)the transport service (online ticket purchasing, bus cleaning, commercial attitude, etc.).