Usine centrale refurbished
Created in 1903 by the Tramways Bruxellois, ancestors of the STIB, the Usine centrale has been owned by the STIB since 1954. This magnificent building, which housed a coal-fired power plant to supply the tram network, was converted to accommodate the activity that still occupies it today, i.e. the packaging of rails for the tram and metro networks.
Maintenance of the tracks, switches and turnout motors, bending, welding, assembly before laying... The STIB's rails are shaped as well as repaired at the Usine centrale, and have been for more than 60 years. In 2021, the Usine centrale supplied nearly 48 kilometres of rail. A total of 180 people work there, day and night.
These renovation works are essential to maintain and develop the STIB's activity. The complete redevelopment of the building's surroundings includes the creation of a new road access for the delivery and transportation of materials as well as the construction of a bicycle and pedestrian path, which will facilitate access to Jacques Brel station. This ecological project includes the greening of the site's surroundings and the permeabilisation of the soil.
