Especially as they decided to get a headstart by replacing all the maps in all the stations about 3 weeks ahead of schedule.

So anyone not knowing where they’re going (tourists, out-of-towners…) relied on the maps, having no idea that the trains hadn’t actually changed yet, and got utterly lost.

And everyone who DID know where they’re going ALSO got lost, because they thought “Oh yay, the trains have changed already!”

STIB must have realised the error of their ways, because about 3 days before the actual change, the old maps were back alongside the new ones, all duly sticked up with little notes saying “until / from April 4th”

In fact, it’s much ado about not very much (partly with an eye on the regional election in June). A few hundred metres of new track is being opened for service (coupled with the recent introduction of a new fleet of trains and a new depot for them) creating the new direct connection between Gare du Midi and Heysel. As to the rest, they’re just rearranging services, first to increase resilience and frequency on the core, most heavily used parts, and second to remove the time-consuming and operationally inconvenient reversal of line 1A services at Beekant. Of regular users, I’d guess a significant majority will see next to no difference. The main inconvenience comes to those doing long E-W journeys who will now have to change trains (but not platforms) at Beekant (or Arts-Loi and Simonis).

As to causing chaos? Well, they’ve effectively been running the new service pattern since last Monday (but not to a published timetable) and there have evidently been some problems judging by the long waits and bunged trains I’ve been suffering. We’ll see how it beds down after the Easter break.

When I first came to Brussels, some 13 years ago, I found the metro/premetro system quite confusing. But after some years I now know how to get from A to B, even when only being a regular visitor. My experience is that the service is very frequent and reliable, though for getting to the EU quarter when coming from Holland I prefer to take the train and get off at Schuman (Berlaymont) or Luxembourg (EP). Unfortunately the trains from Holland don’t stop at the Noord station anymore, which means that total travel time to Schuman/Luxembourg tends to be longer.

What always strikes me is the seventyish ‘design’ of the Brussels metro system. A lot of orange and these light brown tiles. Premises are often very spacious (I guess some building company was behind this) and it is often hard to find the fastest route to the right exit.

You should also have mentioned the printed Brussels public transport maps — unique in their complexity. But maybe they have been improved now.

Bicycles point is a good one. Berlin S-Bahn is also good for this.

I also love the music that gets played over the metro tannoy. Whoever is in charge has an eclectic and inspired record collection. I particularly remember one late night hearing the Bee Gee’s More than a Woman from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack followed by a groovy 1970s jazz-orchestral interpretation of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor and then Amoureux Solitaire by Lio, the early 80s Brazilian-Belgian pop séductrice. London’s underground has a long way to come.

Heathrow – never transferred through T5. But anything at LHR is always a mess, although T5 itself is a bit better than the rest.