Gare Centrale metro station

Gare Centrale or Centraal Station is a Brussels Metro [List of Brussels rapid transit|metro and premetro stations|station] on lines 1 and 5. It is located five minutes' walk from Brussels-Central railway station, under the Marché au Bois/Houtmarkt, in the City of Brussels, Belgium, and can be accessed through a pedestrian tunnel.
The station opened on 17 December 1969 as a premetro station on the tram line between De Brouckère and Schuman. This station was upgraded to full metro status on 20 September 1976, serving former east–west line 1. Then, following the reorganisation of the Brussels Metro on 4 April 2009, it now lies on the joint section of east–west lines 1 and 5.

History

Gare Centrale/Centraal Station station was inaugurated on 17 December 1969 as a premetro station, as part of the first underground public transport route in Belgium, which initially stretched from De Brouckère to Schuman. On 20 September 1976, this premetro line was converted into a heavy metro line, which was later split into two distinct lines on 6 October 1982: former lines 1A and 1B, both serving Gare Centrale/Centraal Station. On 4 April 2009, metro operation was restructured and the station is now served by metro lines 1 and 5.