The line 2 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...

 is a rapid transit

Rapid transit

A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...

 line in Brussels

Brussels

Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...

, 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 section between Delacroix metro station

Delacroix metro station

Delacroix is a station on lines 2 and 6 of the Brussels metro. It runs parallel to Delacroix street, located in the municipality of Anderlecht. The Brussels-Charleroi Canal runs under the station....

 and Gare de l'Ouest/Weststation was opened, which allowed to close the loop from and to Simonis metro station

Simonis metro station

The Simonis Metro Station is a station on the Brussels Metro serving lines 2 and 6 via two different levels called Elisabeth and Leopold II. It opened on 6 October 1982 and is situated at the end of Boulevard Léopold II. It is close to Elizabeth Park and the Basilica of the Sacred Heart...

. The configuration of the Simonis metro station though does not allow trains on the line 2 to be able to perform the loop several consecutive times in the same direction, i.e. a train running clockwise from Simonis will have to run counterclockwise afterwards. The two termini of line 2 have thus received different names: Simonis-Elisabeth and Simonis-Leopold II. Between the Yser/IJzer metro station

Yser/IJzer metro station

The Yser/IJzer metro station is an Brussels metro station on the northern segment of line 2. It opened on 2 October 1988 and is located under the small ring between Place Yser/IJzerplein and Porte d'Anvers/Antwerpsepoort in the municipality of the City of Brussels.-External links:* , bsubway.net...

 and the Porte de Hal/Hallepoort station, the line runs under the small ring road

Small ring (Brussels)

The Brussels small ring or inner ring road is a series of roadways in central Brussels, Belgium, surrounding the historic city centre. It was built on the site of the Second walls of Brussels, built in the 16th century, after they were torn down....

 of Brussels, which is itself built on the former Second walls of Brussels

Second walls of Brussels

There were two stages of fortifications of Brussels, the first walls, built in the early 13th century, and the second walls, built in the late 14th century and later upgraded. Today, only a few sections of either remain.-First walls:...

.

The first stations on the small ring road were opened in 1970 with tramways

Brussels trams

The Brussels tram system is one of the ten largest in the world, carrying some 75.6 million passengers in 2009. Its development demonstrates many of the quandaries that face local public transport planners...

 connecting Rogier station with Porte de Namur/Naamsepoort metro station

Porte de Namur/Naamsepoort metro station

The Porte de Namur/Naamsepoort metro station is an Brussels metro station on the southern segment of line 2. It opened as a premetro on 20 December 1970 and became a heavy metro on 2 October 1988. The station is located under the small ring in the municipality of Ixelles.-External links:* ,...

. The Louise/Louiza metro station

Louise/Louiza metro station

The Louise/Louiza metro station is an Brussels metro station on the southern segment of lines 2 and 6. It opened on 19 August 1985 and is located under the small ring at the end of Avenue Louise in the municipality of the City of Brussels.-External links:...

 was opened in 1985 and the Simonis metro station in 1986 but it is only in 1988 that the actual metro line 2 was first serviced with metros. The following stations also opened that year: Ribaucourt

Ribaucourt metro station

The Ribaucourt metro station is an Brussels metro station on the northern segment of line 2. It opened on 2 October 1988 and is located on Boulevard Léopold II in the municipality of Sint-Jans-Molenbeek.-External links:* , bsubway.net...

, Yser/IJzer, Hôtel des Monnaies/Munthof metro station

Hôtel des Monnaies/Munthof metro station

The Hôtel des Monnaies/Munthof metro station is an Brussels metro station on the southern segment of line 2. It opened on 2 October 1988 and is located under the small ring near the University Medical Centre of Saint Peter in the municipality of Saint-Gilles / Sint-Gillis...

, Porte de Hal/Hallepoort and Brussels-South railway station. The existing stations were converted in order to be serviced by metros. In 1993 the line was expanded to the Clemenceau metro station

Clemenceau metro station

The Clemenceau metro station is an Brussels metro station on the southern segment of line 2. It opened on 18 June 1993 and was the terminus of line 2 until Delacroix opened in 2006. It is located on Clemenceau Avenue, between Bergensesteenweg and Kliniekstraat next to a slaughterhouse, in the...

, and then to Delacroix in 2006.

The line crosses the municipalities of 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...

, 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:...

, 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....

, Saint-Gilles

Saint-Gilles, Belgium

Saint-Gilles or Sint-Gillis is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium.Saint-Gilles has a multicultural identity stemming from its diverse population...

 and Anderlecht

Anderlecht

Anderlecht is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region.There are several historically and architecturally distinct districts within the Anderlecht municipality.-Pronunciation:* Dutch: * French:...

.