De Brouckère metro station 3.22

De Brouckère is a Brussels rapid transit station consisting of both a metro station (serving lines 1 and 5) and a premetro (tram) station (serving lines 3 and 4).HistoryThe station was inaugurated on 17 December 1969 as a premetro station (i.e., with tramways instead of metros), part of the first underground line in Belgium, then going from De Brouckère to Schuman. In 1976, the premetro line was converted into a metro line that was later split into two distinct lines in 1982: lines 1A and 1B, both of which served De Brouckère. On 4 April 2009, metro operation was restructured so that lines 1 and 5 now serve the station.Since 1976, De Brouckère has also been served by the North-South Axis, which is part of the premetro system. Lines 3 and 4 provide most service on this axis.AreaThe station is named after the city square above ground, which itself is named after the former mayor of Brussels Charles de Brouckère. The station lies near the famous Hotel Metropole, the UGC De Brouckère cinema, the La Monnaie/De Munt theatre and one end of the Rue Neuve / Nieuwstraat. The whole complex is also connected to the underground shopping galleries between the Place de la Monnaie / Muntplein and the Boulevard Anspachlaan.