Line 2 is a rapid transit line on the Brussels Metro in Belgium operated by STIB/MIVB. It has existed in its current form since 4 April 2009, when the section between Delacroix and Gare de l'Ouest/Weststation was opened, which allowed to close the "loop" from and to Simonis/Elisabeth. The configuration of Simonis/Elisabeth though does not allow trains on line 2 to perform the loop several consecutive times in the same direction, i.e. a train running clockwise from Elisabeth will have to run counterclockwise from Simonis. The two termini of line 2 have thus received different names: originally Simonis (Elisabeth) and Simonis (Leopold II), changed in November 2013 to Elisabeth and Simonis. Between Yser/IJzer and the Porte de Hal/Hallepoort, the line runs under the Small Ring (Brussels' inner ring road), which was itself built on the site of the former second walls of Brussels. The line crosses the municipalities of Koekelberg, Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, City of Brussels, Saint-Gilles and Anderlecht.

Brussels Metro line 2
Map of line 2 in Brussels
Overview
Native nameFrench: Ligne 2
Dutch: Metrolijn 2
LocaleBrussels
Termini
Connecting lines
Stations19
Service
TypeRapid transit
SystemBrussels Metro
Operator(s)STIB/MIVB
Depot(s)Jacques Brel
Rolling stockU5
History
Opened2 October 1988; 36 years ago (1988-10-02)
Last extension4 April 2009; 15 years ago (2009-04-04)
Technical
Line length10.4 km (6.5 mi)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Electrification900 V DC (third rail)
Line 2
Line 6 to King Baudouin
(Roi Baudouin/Koning Boudewijn)
SimonisElisabeth
Ribaucourt
Sainctelette
Osseghem/Ossegem
Yser/IJzer
Rogier 34
15 Beekkant
Botanique/Kruidtuin
Madou
15
Brussels-West
(Gare de l'Ouest/Weststation)
Arts-Loi/Kunst-Wet 15
Trône/Troon
Delacroix
Porte de Namur/
Naamsepoort
Clemenceau
Louise/Louiza
34
Brussels-South
(Gare du Midi/Zuidstation)
Hôtel des Monnaies/
Munthof
34 Porte de Hal/Hallepoort
Key
metro lines
premetro lines
SNCB lines

The first stations on the Small Ring were opened in 1970 with tramways connecting Rogier to Porte de Namur/Naamsepoort.[1] Louise/Louiza was opened in 1985 and Simonis in 1986, but it was only in 1988 that the actual metro line 2 was first serviced with metros.[2] The following stations also opened that year: Ribaucourt, Yser, Hôtel des Monnaies/Munthof, Porte de Hal and Gare du Midi/Zuidstation. The existing stations were converted in order to be serviced by metros. In 1993, the line was expanded to Clemenceau, and then to Delacroix in 2006. The route of line 2 is also currently served by line 6, which then continues from Simonis to Roi Baudouin/Koning Boudewijn.

References

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  1. ^ "Historique: De 1960 à 1969 (Archive)". STIB (in French). Archived from the original on 25 November 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  2. ^ "Historique: De 1980 à 1989 (Archive)". STIB (in French). Archived from the original on 3 August 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
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