New fix for metro 3: offer must be renewed

Retiring Transport Minister Elke Van den Brandt (Green) answered a question from Benjamin Dalle (CD&V).

Van den Brandt gave an overview of the work on metro 3. There is a revolution of Albert Station to become a multi-modal hub on schedule, and in front of the station Toots Thielemans the shell is almost complete, until Stalingrad is reformed in 2025. A compensation scheme has also been developed for the affected traders.

Permission to dismantle South Palace on the other hand, it has not yet been delivered.

A new barrier announces itself for phase II, from North Station to Bordet. In the spring of 2023, two contractors submitted a quote for the construction of the 4.5 kilometer tunnel, seven stations and a metro station in Haren. The price of these values ​​was significantly higher than the original estimates, and last year the Brussels government asked Beliris to analyze the values ​​’line by line’ to reduce costs.

That analysis is now complete. According to the legal part of the Beliris investigation, the values ​​are ‘arbitrary’, replied Van den Brandt. One of the two valuations could still be regulated, but then, according to Beliris, there is only one value left, so there is no more competition.

Beliris therefore proposes to launch a new public procurement, after a cooling off period. In the meantime, the specifications can be revised in the hope of reducing costs.

Other options

According to Beliris, other options than the classic offer should also be considered: either dividing the offer into different lots, or private-public partnership.

For the problem at the North Station, where there is a connecting tunnel has hit the ground water tablea technical solution is in the works. It was previously announced that the tunnel may be dug from above, above the ground water level, which could affect train traffic on the North-South link. This is being negotiated with Infrabel and NMBS. A final decision will be made at the end of this year. The additional costs for this work will also be known. The permission for this has not yet been granted.

Van den Brandt also provided a new estimate of the costs for metro 3, as well as time. The costs have already increased to 4.6 billion euros. If everything goes according to plan, the metro could be used in 2031, but funding must be found first. The outgoing Brussels government will be looking especially at the new federal government.