Brussels - Metro '76

The capital of Belgium, with a population over 1 million, built itself a multi-line heavy rail metro system. Opened in 1976, all the original cars still operate, and are virtually unmodified. The stations are classy and art filled. Like Montreal's Metro, this smaller but stylish system is busy throughout the day, providing essential mobility for the majority of citizens. Brussels is home to UITP, making this a very important town for the worldwide transit industry. The historical footage is available in its entirety from www.backintime.be
The orange front cars are series M1-M5, operating on lines with numbers M1 through M5. With high back, soft transverse seats, large widows and pneumatic plug doors help make these cars totally unique and have been subject to little modification. They were manufactured from '76 to '99 by a variety of builders with minor but visible differences. They are expected to run for at least a few more years.

[@imaginox9]

To be precise, here are the different versions of the Mx rolling stock:
- M1 (numbered in the first half of the 100's): built in 1976 by BN/ACEC, cream white interior with orange doors, loud DC pulsing motors, very 70's looking. Originally had rollsign destination displays but replaced with dot-matrix displays quite quickly.
- M2 (numbered second half of the 100's): same as above, but with an all orange interior. Built in the late 70's (around 1978)
- M3 (numbered in the 200's): built in 1981, same as M2's but with a different air doors system (the air system sound different). First serie with a 3rd middle car on some units and to have dot-matrix displays per default.
- M4 (numbered in the 300's): BN has been bought by Bombardier and ACEC by Alstom. Built in 1991, same as the M3's except the motor, the loud DC pulsing thyristors have been replaced with much more silent two phases DC pulsing.
- M5 (numbered in the 400's): Built in 1999 by Bombardier and Alstom The interior has now white doors and a very dark green floor. The classic air doors opened by pulling a handle are replaced with electric doors opened with touch sensitive buttons. The original doors closing buzzers are now beeping alarms, and a flashing orange light above each doorway provides additional warning for deaf people. The DC pulsing is changed for AC propulsion, the whole train is now computer controlled (instead of pure mechanic switches). They're pretty rare and run only one lines 2 and 6 (and rarely on line 5 when there are no more CAF Boa or older Mx trains available during rush hours). Also line 1 only see Mx trains when extra trains are needed during special events or huge rush hours.

[@imaginox9]

Oh and thanks for featuring my older videos with the original sound of the M1 and 2 stock air doors system ! They now feature a more silent air system for the doors since a year or so. Also in the mid 2000's, they replaced the original doors closing buzzers of the Mx trains with that beeping alarm that M5 and Boa trains feature by default, and they added a red light (flashing on some trains, steady on some other) for additional doors closing warning for hearing impaired people.

[@trainluvr]

Thank you for helping to educate us about your fine transit system. I wish more viewers would participate usefully with real knowledge. Most of them just say things like "I was five when this was shot'.

[@imaginox9]

@@trainluvr No problem, I'm quite good at noticing differences so that helps. Also we will normally receive new trains in September, I visited the transport museum when the mock up of these new trains was showcased and they really put an emphasis on the design, they're really classy looking. They are built by CAF, just like the Boa trains we have since 2007 and designed by a Belgian designer named Axel Enthoven, who already helped for the design of our Boa trains and Bombardier Flexity trams, as well as the new interior design of the buses, with fake wooden textured floor and orange fake leather seats.

[@trainluvr]

How much of the M stock will be gone after the new cars come in? I'm glad I got to ride them while they still dominate the fleet.

[@imaginox9]

@@trainluvr I don't know, they just refurbished the door system and the PA system of the first Mx trains and they're planning on converting the North-South premetro line from tram (or streetcars) to metro so I don't think many of them will be gone as there will be more demand for trains. According to the STIB, the new trains will go on line 5 where the present day rolling stock is a mix between Mx and Boa trains as this line is overcrowded on rush hours. They will probably mix these new trains with Boa trains on line 5 because the future North-South line will be 100% new trains. Also they might send a few Boa trains on lines 2 and 6 but some say that there will be a problem at one station that has a shorter platform. They already have put special Boa trains on line 6 during special events at Heysel like concerts or football matches so the short platform problem might just be for the rear drivers cab. But lines 2 and 6 will probably still mostly rely on Mx trains.

[@supereclair]

Nice metro
(I live in Brussels)

[@pechemignon3431]

nice i live in brussels !!☺️

[@joev53]

4:36 je suis monté dans ce wagon hier