Five years of M7: five years of nuisance, but also of mobilisation

On 8 July 2021, the first M7 trains entered service on the STIB-MIVB network in Brussels. Five years later, for residents along lines 1 and 5, this anniversary mainly recalls five years of noise, vibrations and efforts to regain a normal living environment. Very quickly, residents reported abnormal nuisance: structure-borne noise in homes, vibrations, repeated awakenings, fatigue, stress and concerns for some buildings.

In early 2022, in Anderlecht, residents made their voices heard, challenged the municipal authorities and helped make the scale of the problem publicly known.

Complaints then multiplied in several municipalities. Following a large number of reports, Brussels Environment carried out measurements that recognised the problem, confirming that this abnormal nuisance had to be taken seriously and addressed.

In May 2024, an important step was taken: residents, with the support of Woluwe-Saint-Lambert and Woluwe-Saint-Pierre, brought an action before the Justice of the Peace to require STIB-MIVB to take the necessary measures to stop the disturbances.

Stop Bruit Métro was then launched to gather information and support the steps taken by residents. Residents also met Brussels parliamentarians and the Minister for Mobility to bring their testimonies and requests directly to the regional political level. The objective has never been to oppose the metro, but to recall that modern public transport must also respect the people living near the lines.

In November 2024, Ombuds Brussels confirmed the importance of the problem and called for a balance to be restored between mobility and a healthy environment. It recommended greater transparency, interim measures such as a night-time speed reduction, and acoustic monitoring by Brussels Environment.

Since then, the various actions have begun to bear fruit. STIB-MIVB has recognised the need to correct certain problematic elements of the M7 trains. An expert appointed in the context of the judicial proceedings has also confirmed the existence of the problem and made recommendations to reduce the nuisance. The file continues to be followed by the municipalities, residents and political representatives.

In June 2026, a concrete step forward was finally recorded by the judge: the most problematic M7 trains must be limited as much as possible during weekends and at night. STIB-MIVB must also submit a report every two weeks on the journeys concerned, the exceptions, grinding operations and the progress of corrections.

Five years after the arrival of the M7 trains, residents continue to ask for common-sense measures: corrected trains, less noise at night, transparent monitoring and lasting solutions. Recent progress shows that mobilisation works and that STIB-MIVB can be required to do more.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this effort for years: the residents who testify, challenge and act, the municipalities that support the steps taken, the lawyers who carry the case, the political representatives who ask questions and table draft resolutions, and all those who help maintain this mobilisation over time. The progress is important, but it does not mean that the problem has been solved: its effectiveness will have to be verified, and action will continue as long as the nuisance has not been genuinely and durably reduced.

This anniversary is therefore not only that of five years of nuisance. It is also that of a collective mobilisation that is beginning to produce concrete results, and that will continue until lasting solutions are effectively put in place.