During a union action, strike or demonstration, the STIB-MIVB network doesn’t operate as usual. But, as you’ve probably noticed for yourself: some lines always keep running during strikes, while others never run at all. How come? And how is the STIB-MIVB network organized in this kind of situation? In this article, we explain what we put in place when there are major disruptions on our network. 

The rule of thumb is simple and serves just one purpose: to provide mobility to as many passengers as possible across Brussels. When there’s a union action, strike or demonstration, the voluntary staff who aren’t on strike and show up at the depot to work are mobilized to run as many vehicles as possible. 

That’s the theory. But in practice, it’s not quite that simple… 

Metro, tram and bus during a strike 

For metro, tram and bus alike, we act depending on the available staff on that day. We put as many drivers as possible on the network. So, it is the number of voluntary staff present that determines how the network is operated and how many lines we will run. However, there are several constraints we need to take into account. 

First and foremost, the operation is organized by depot. For example, a driver assigned to the Haren depot will drive one of the lines assigned to that depot. Why? Very simply: they know these routes perfectly. For that reason, they won’t be sent to another depot. 

Next, we must consider the type of job. A metro driver is trained to drive a metro — not a bus! It seems obvious, but it’s a real constraint during major disruptions. Did you know that we have far more bus drivers than tram or metro drivers? 

In short, we can’t predict in advance which lines will run because we simply don’t know who will show up on “the day of the action” (in both senses of the word) . 

Voluntary drivers and operators 

The number of available voluntary drivers determines which lines will operate. It’s entirely on a voluntary basis, not mandatory (when it comes to days affected by union events). We are extremely grateful to have these drivers available during major disruptions, and probably you are too . 

In the morning, as the depot opens, our drivers arrive gradually until around 7 a.m. That’s why we generally post many updates between 5:30 and 7 a.m, as the number of available drivers rises and the situation can suddenly change. The operation of lines is then adjusted throughout the day depending on driver availabilities. 

After 7 a.m., the situation usually stabilises, although changes may of course occur throughout the day, especially when shifts change. In the morning, the STIB-MIIVB tries to select the lines in such a way that those same lines can also operate in the afternoon. This way, people who took public transport to work or school can also get back home. It’s not an easy assessment, and there’s no absolute guarantee of success. 

A regular service day lasts nearly 20 hours: several drivers take turns in driving the same vehicle throughout the day. Line frequency during an action day and/or strike always depends on the number of staff present, regardless of the time of day. This implies that we sometimes need to close lines before the end of day, due to a lack of personnel. 

Serving all Brussels neighbourhoods 

Once we know how many STIB-MIVB drivers are available, we choose which lines will run in order to offer the widest possible service. We prioritise lines that allow us to serve as many neighbourhoods in Brussels as possible. 

For example, if we look at the network map from one of the latest national union actions, we can see that Brussels was largely covered. The metro lines 2 and 6 weren’t running, but the neighbourhoods they serve were still covered by other lines such as line 7, 9, 51 or 88. Another example: tram line 39 didn’t run, but metro line 1 and bus 36 were deployed to cover those zones. 

So, we don’t necessarily operate the main lines (such as metro lines 2 and 6), but we always aim to serve most Brussels neighbourhoods. Our priority is to deploy lines for an optimal geographical spread, not based on line type or the number of passengers.  

We also make sure that there are enough vehicles on the lines we communicate to passengers. The goal isn’t to have just one single bus running on one line all day: this would lead to excessive crowding, which we absolutely want to avoid. 

Passenger crowds in stations 

No matter which lines we operate, we prefer that the ones in service run regularly. That means it’s out of the question to provide you with a metro line with a 40-minute frequency, for example. While this may prove mildly cumbersome for surface transport, it would be a different story underground. We want to avoid overcrowding in stations because people have to wait for their tram or train for too long. If the platforms get too crowded, this may cause panic and lead to people ending up on the tracks – a life-threatening situation! 

Our colleagues in the stations are also deployed, whenever possible, at key points in the network to manage passenger flow and to answer questions. A fine example is Brussels Central Station: in the morning, many passengers arrive by train from all over Belgium. To ensure everything runs smoothly on the metro platforms, our agents are around to assist travellers. 

Priority lines 

Although every disruption day is different,  these are some examples of priority lines we usually operate in every disruption scenario: 

• Metro line 1 (and sometimes 5), because of its wide coverage and its service to UCL and Erasme 
• Trams 4, 7, 8, 9 and 10  
• Trams 51 and 92 for their wide coverage of the city 
• Bus 12 running to the airport 
• Buses 46, 53, 59, 71 and 95 for the neighbourhoods they serve 

Assistance on the network, by phone and on social media 

On these trying days, we mobilise our passenger information team to make sure that station announcements and display screens provide reliable information from the first to the last service. 

Likewise, our Customer Care team is available from the early morning to answer your questions and help you along. We also post real-time updates on our WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram accounts. 

You can also visit our website or download our mobile app on iOS and Android.