🚇 50 Years of Brussels Metro: Behind the Scenes at Jacques Brel Depot

### Car-Free Sunday Special • Hidden Brussels • Urban Exploration • Social Meetup

Ever wondered what happens behind the closed doors where Brussels’ metro trains sleep, get serviced and prepare to roll out each morning?

For the 50th anniversary of the Brussels Metro (1976–2026), STIB/MIVB is exceptionally opening the gates of the Jacques Brel Metro Depot in Anderlecht — a huge industrial site that is normally closed to the public.

And there’s another reason to join us: it’s Car-Free Sunday in Brussels.

Come discover a hidden side of the city with Sunday Vacations, meet new people and enjoy an easy Sunday morning together.

Solo joiners are absolutely welcome. 🌍

## 🌍 EXPERIENCE OVERVIEW

This is not a typical museum visit.

We’ll meet at Jacques Brel Metro Station before the depot opens and head inside together to discover the infrastructure and technology that keep Brussels moving.

The depot covers around 6 hectares, giving us the opportunity to explore maintenance areas, metro equipment, historical displays and other behind-the-scenes spaces made accessible for this special anniversary event.

Afterwards, we’ll regroup and continue the social side of the morning with an optional drink, lunch or relaxed walk towards the canal.

There’s no pressure to know anyone beforehand — many Sunday Vacations participants join on their own.

## 🏷️ EVENT TYPE

🌍 Community Event

Urban discovery • Industrial heritage • Photography • Brussels • Social connection

Easy activity level — mostly standing and walking.

## ✨ HIGHLIGHTS

🚇 Step inside a working Brussels metro depot normally closed to the public

🔧 Discover maintenance halls and behind-the-scenes infrastructure

🎮 See metro driving simulators/cabins and technical displays available during the open day

👀 Get a different perspective on the trains and how they are maintained

📸 Great opportunity for urban and industrial photography, subject to any on-site restrictions

🏙️ Experience Brussels on Car-Free Sunday

🌍 Meet an international mix of people from Brussels and beyond

🥂 Optional post-visit drink, lunch or canal-side stroll

## 🗓️ THE PLAN

Sunday, 20 September 2026

### 09:45–10:00 | Meet the group

📍 Outside Jacques Brel Metro Station (Line 5)
Exit towards Rue Nicolas Doyen

Please arrive by 09:45.

The gates are scheduled to open at 10:00, and we’re meeting early so we can enter before the busier part of the day.

Look out for your Sunday Vacations host:

👋 Host: Gary & Deepak

### 10:00–12:00 | Explore Jacques Brel Depot 🚇

We enter the depot together and discover the open-day activities and displays.

Because this is a large site, you’ll also have time to explore at your own pace, stop for photos and spend longer at the things that interest you.

### Around 12:15 | Regroup + optional social time ☕🥪

We’ll regroup outside the main entrance.

Those who want to continue can join us for an informal drink or bite nearby.

Depending on the mood of the group, we may instead make the most of the quieter Car-Free Sunday streets and take a relaxed stroll towards the canal.

The official Sunday Vacations meetup ends after the depot visit, so the post-event social is completely optional.

## 📍 MEETING POINT

Jacques Brel Metro Station — Line 5
Anderlecht, Brussels

Meet outside the station at the exit towards Rue Nicolas Doyen.

⏰ Meeting: 09:45
🚪 Depot opening: 10:00

Please be punctual so we can enter together.

## 💶 PRICE / CONTRIBUTION

FREE

There is no Sunday Vacations participation contribution for this Community Event.

Depot admission is free as part of the public open-day programme.

Any food, drinks or other personal purchases after the visit are at your own expense and paid directly to the relevant third-party provider.

## 🌍 SUNDAY VACATIONS MEMBERSHIP

Sunday Vacations is a Brussels-based community bringing international professionals, expats and locals together through shared experiences, nature, culture and discovery.

More information at www.sundayvacations.com

You can join individual Community Events like this one without committing to a bigger trip.

For people who want to become more involved in the community, our membership levels are:

🧭 Explorer - €5/year
🌍 Voyager - €50/year
⭐ Ambassador - €150/year

Membership helps support the community and the organisation of future Sunday Vacations experiences.

## 👋 WHO THIS IS FOR

This outing is a great fit if you:

• are curious about hidden places in Brussels
• enjoy urban exploration or industrial heritage
• like metros, trains, engineering or city infrastructure
• enjoy photography
• recently moved to Brussels and want to meet people
• are an expat, international professional or local looking for an international community
• simply want to do something different on a Sunday morning

Coming alone? Perfectly normal.

Sunday Vacations is designed to make shared experiences an easy way to meet people naturally — without awkward networking.

## 🎒 WHAT TO BRING

👟 Comfortable, flat walking shoes - expect industrial/concrete floors

📱 Camera or phone for photos

💧 Water bottle

🧥 Clothing suitable for the weather and potentially cooler industrial spaces

😊 Curiosity and an open mind

## ⚠️ IMPORTANT NOTES

This is a public open-day event organised by STIB/MIVB, and Sunday Vacations is attending as a community group.

Access to particular areas, displays, simulators or vehicles may depend on the programme, operational requirements, safety rules, capacity and instructions of STIB/MIVB staff on the day.

There may be queues, particularly as this is a special anniversary event.

Please follow all instructions, barriers and safety requirements inside the operational depot.

Sunday Vacations does not control the depot programme and cannot guarantee access to every advertised attraction or area.

📲 RSVP etiquette: If your plans change, please update your Meetup RSVP as early as possible. It helps Gary know who to look out for at the station.

## ⚖️ LEGAL DISCLAIMER

Sunday Vacations is a community initiative operated by UJAMAA ASBL. We facilitate social connection and coordinate the community meeting point; we are not the operator of the Jacques Brel Depot, the Brussels public transport network or the public open-day programme.

The depot visit, access conditions, facilities, safety procedures and programme are provided and controlled by the relevant third-party operator/organiser. Participants must follow its rules and instructions.

Participants remain responsible for their own personal belongings, purchases, transport arrangements and individual decisions during the event.

Any optional food or drinks following the visit are purchased directly from independent third-party establishments.

Activities are organised by volunteers and covered under the COCOF volunteer insurance framework.

The COCOF volunteer insurance framework provides cover for qualifying volunteer activities, including areas such as civil liability, bodily injury and legal assistance, subject to the applicable conditions and exclusions.

VAT not applicable – small business exemption scheme, Article 56bis Belgian VAT Code.

## 🚇 READY TO DISCOVER THE BRUSSELS METRO FROM THE OTHER SIDE?

For one Sunday, we’re swapping the passenger platform for a look behind the scenes.

Come for the metros, the hidden infrastructure and the photography.

Stay for the conversations, the people and a different way of experiencing Brussels.

👉 RSVP and join us at Jacques Brel at 09:45.

See you underground — and behind the scenes. 🚇🌍