Metro 3: project frozen for 10 years, replaced by tram

Government agreement: what changes

The agreement of 12 February 2026 seals the most structural decision for Brussels public transport in decades:

• Metro 3 frozen for 10 years — the project as conceived (Albert — Bordet extension, ~5.2 billion EUR) is abandoned
• Replaced by a tram completing the loop of the existing network
• Ongoing construction sites (Constitution, Palais du Midi) are continued
• Tram 15 (Gare du Nord — Tour & Taxis) is maintained

This decision redirects billions of euros in investment from underground metro to surface tramway.

Palais du Midi controversy

The continuation of tunnel works beneath the Palais du Midi (Zuidpaleis) has triggered a sharp controversy. The building is to be largely demolished — only the facades will be preserved — to allow construction of the tram tunnel.

The ARAU association (Atelier de Recherche et d'Action Urbaines) called the decision "urban planning and political nonsense", arguing that the tunnel merely "duplicates the existing tram service".

The Council of State had suspended the demolition permit in December 2025. An engineering report from 10 February 2026 revealed that 90% of the building's floor zones do not meet current load-bearing standards, adding a structural argument to the case.

Inherited context

The Metro 3 project aimed to extend Brussels' north-south metro line, connecting Albert station (Forest) to Bordet (Evere) via the city centre. It was the largest public transport infrastructure project in the Brussels-Capital Region, co-funded by the Region and the federal government through the Beliris cooperation agreement.

The project's cost had ballooned from initial estimates of 3.2 billion to over 5.2 billion EUR, fuelling a growing public debate about its budgetary relevance.

What was blocked (June 2024 — February 2026)

In the absence of a fully empowered regional government, major budgetary decisions were frozen:

• New multi-year budget allocations
• Arbitrations on cost overruns related to inflation
• Renegotiation of the terms of the Beliris agreement

Preparatory works continued in part, but phases requiring new financial commitments were blocked.

Issues to monitor

• Conversion: the future of infrastructure already built or under construction for Metro 3 (tunnel, stations) must be defined
• Replacement tram: the route, timeline and budget of the replacement tram are not yet known
• Beliris: the impact on the federal cooperation agreement must be negotiated between the Region and the federal government
• Northern mobility: the northern Brussels municipalities (Schaerbeek, Evere) that were expecting the metro will need to be served differently
• Budget: the savings from Metro 3 could be reallocated to other regional priorities