The line 1 is a line on the Brussels Metro

Brussels Metro

The Brussels Metro is a rapid transit system serving a large part of the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium. It consists of a network with four metro line services with some shared sections. The metro has 49.9 km of network and 59 stations...

 in Belgium

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

 operated by STIB/MIVB

Brussels Intercommunal Transport Company

The Brussels Intercommunal Transport Company is the local public transport operator in Brussels, Belgium...

. It exists in its current form since April 4, 2009, when the former line 1B, which ran between Stockel/Stokkel

Stockel/Stokkel metro station

Stockel metro station is the eastern terminus of line 1 on the Brussels Metro. The station opened on 31 August 1988 and is located in the municipality of Woluwe-Saint-Pierre.-Art in the station:...

 and Erasme/Erasmus

Erasme/Erasmus metro station

Erasme or Erasmus metro station is the western terminus of line 5 on the Brussels Metro. It is located in the Brussels municipality of Anderlecht....

, was shortened to Gare de l'Ouest/Weststation. The section between West station and Erasme is now served by line 5

Brussels Metro line 5

Line 5 on the Brussels Metro is a rapid transit line operated by STIB/MIVB, which connects Herrmann-Debroux at the south-east of Brussels, Belgium to Erasme/Erasmus at the south-west via the city center...

. The line serves 21 metro stations, and has a common section with line 5 between West station and Mérode station

Mérode station

Merode is a railway and metro station in Brussels, Belgium. The metro station is located in the municipality of Etterbeek , under the "Porte de Tervueren/Tervuursepoort," which is the start of Avenue de Tervueren, a major street in Brussels...

, and with lines 2

Brussels Metro line 2

The line 2 on the Brussels Metro is a rapid transit line in Brussels, Belgium operated by STIB/MIVB. It exists in its current form since April 4, 2009 when the section between Delacroix metro station and Gare de l'Ouest/Weststation was opened, which allowed to close the loop from and to Simonis...

 and 6

Brussels Metro line 6

Line 6 of the Brussels Metro is a rapid transit line operated by STIB/MIVB, which connects King Baudouin metro station at the north-west of Brussels, Belgium to Simonis metro station at the north-west of the city center, then performing a counterclockwise loop around the center up to Simonis again...

 between West station and Beekkant

Beekkant metro station

Beekkant Metro Station on the west-side the Brussels is served by lines 1, 2, 5 & 6 of the Brussels Metro. The station is located in the borough of Sint-Jans-Molenbeek, running parallel to a railway used for freight trains and in 2010 again as suburban railway line of the future Brussels RER...

. At Arts-Loi/Kunst-Wet

Arts-Loi/Kunst-Wet metro station

Arts-Loi/Kunst-Wet is a Brussels metro station in the City of Brussels, Brussels. It is the only station in the metro network where all four lines meet. It is located under the intersection of "Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat" and "Avenue des Arts/Kunstlaan", the latter street being part of the "inner...

 the line also connects with lines 2 and 6. Railway connections are possible at Brussels-Central railway station, Schuman station

Schuman station

Schuman station is a railway and metro station in the City of Brussels. The metro station opened in 1969 and serves the European quarter of Brussels.-Metro:...

, Mérode and West stations. The line crosses the municipalities of Molenbeek-Saint-Jean

Molenbeek-Saint-Jean

Sint-Jans-Molenbeek or Molenbeek-Saint-Jean is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium.-Rural beginnings:...

, Koekelberg

Koekelberg

Koekelberg is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium. On January 1, 2006 the municipality had a total population of 18,157...

, City of Brussels

City of Brussels

The City of Brussels is the largest municipality of the Brussels-Capital Region, and the official capital of Belgium by law....

, Etterbeek

Etterbeek

Etterbeek is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium. It neighbours the municipalities of the City of Brussels, Ixelles, Auderghem, Woluwe-Saint-Pierre, Woluwe-Saint-Lambert and Schaerbeek....

, Woluwe-Saint-Pierre and Woluwe-Saint-Lambert

Woluwe-Saint-Lambert

Woluwe-Saint-Lambert or Sint-Lambrechts-Woluwe is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium...

.

The first section of this line was built in the late 1960s between Schuman station and De Brouckère, but was served by tram

Tram

A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...

s. The first metro was brought into service on September 20, 1976, and the existing underground section was extended up to Tomberg

Tomberg metro station

The Tomberg metro station is a Brussels metro station on the eastern branch of line 1 . It is located in the municipality of Woluwe-Saint-Lambert / Sint-Lambrechts-Woluwe; one of the entrances of the station is directly beneath the town hall...

 on line 1B, and up to Beaulieu

Beaulieu metro station

Beaulieu Metro Station is one of the Brussels metro stations on the eastern branch of line 5 and was opened in 1976. Until 1977 it was the eastern terminus of what was line 1A, when the extension to Demey station was opened. In 1985 the line was further extended to Herrmann-Debroux. In April 2009...

 on line 1A. Line 1B was later expanded to the west, to Saint Catherine

Saint Catherine metro station

Sainte Catherine/Sint Katelijne is a Brussels metro station in the City of Brussels, Belgium. It is located between the "Quai aux Briques/Baksteenkaai" and the "Quai du Bois à Brûler/Brandhoutkaai," near the church of St. Catherine, which gives the station its name...

 in 1977, to Beekkant in 1981, to Saint-Guidon/Sint-Guido

Saint-Guidon/Sint-Guido metro station

Saint-Guidon / Sint Guido is a metro station on Line 5 of the Brussels Metro. It is located in the Brussels municipality of Anderlecht. The station opened on 6 October 1982 as part of the Beekkant - Saint Guidon extension of line 1B as the service was called until 3 April 2009...

 in 1982, to Veeweyde/Veeweide

Veeweyde/Veeweide metro station

Veeweyde/Veeweide is a station on the Brussels metro, served by the western branch of line 5. It opened on 5 July 1985 and is located underground in the municipality of Anderlecht....

 in 1985, to Bizet

Bizet metro station

The Bizet is a station on the Brussels metro, served by the western branch of line 1B. It opened on 10 January 1992 and is named after Place Bizet, under which it is located in the municipality of Anderlecht....

 in 1992 and finally to Erasme in 2003. The line was expanded to the east, to Alma

Alma metro station

The Alma metro station is a Brussels metro station on line 1. It is located in the municipality of Woluwe-Saint-Lambert / Sint-Lambrechts-Woluwe, serving the local campus of Université catholique de Louvain, and was opened on 7 May 1982....

 in 1982 and to Stockel in 1988.

Future

Currently the line is congested at peak hours, so STIB has plans to divert some traffic via construction of a new leg of the metro. Under provisional plans it would run from Merode to Troon via new stops in Jean Rey Square

Jean Rey Square

Jean Rey Square is a square in the European Quarter of Brussels inaugurated in 2001.-Design and location:...

 and the Brussels-Luxembourg railway station.