Maelbeek (French, ancient Dutch spelling) or Maalbeek (Dutch, pronounced [ˈmaːlbeːk]) is a Brussels metro station in the City of Brussels (Belgium). It opened as a premetro (underground tram) station on 17 December 1969 and became a full metro station on 20 September 1976. Following the reorganisation of the Brussels metro on 4 April 2009, it is served by lines 1 and 5, which cross Brussels from east to west. The name of the station originates from the Maalbeek stream.
Maelbeek/Maalbeek station was inaugurated on 17 December 1969 as a premetro station (i.e. a station served by underground tramways) as part of the first underground public transport route in Belgium, which initially stretched from De Brouckère to Schuman. On 20 September 1976, this premetro line was converted into a heavy metro line, which was later split into two distinct lines on 6 October 1982: former lines 1A and 1B, both serving Maelbeek. As of 4 April 2009[update], the lines were reorganised and renumbered 1 and 5.
On 22 March 2016 at 09:11 CET, an explosion took place at Maelbeek/Maalbeek station. The bomb exploded from the second carriage of a four carriage train as it started leaving the station and heading in the direction of Arts-Loi/Kunst-Wet. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant released a statement claiming responsibility for the attack and branding Belgium a participant in the ongoing military intervention against ISIL. The suicide attack took place about an hour after the bombings took place in Brussels Airport. The Flemish radio and television organisation VRT officially reported 20 people were killed at the metro station, with 106 injured.[1]
The station was closed for over a month following the attacks. On 25 April 2016, it reopened again.[2]
The walls of the Maelbeek/Maalbeek platforms are decorated with white Azulejo tiles manufactured in Portugal.[3] The visual artist Benoît van Innis was commissioned to paint eight portraits on the walls.
Maelbeek/Maalbeek station is located under Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat, a street best known for the many official buildings of the European Union, including the European Parliament and the European Commission, as well as of the Belgian Government. One of the station's exits leads to Rue de la Loi, with a side entrance leading to Rue Joseph II/Jozef II-straat. The other exit leads to Chaussée d'Etterbeek/Etterbeeksesteenweg. It is located under the bridge carrying Rue de la Loi. Nearby (also on Chaussée d'Etterbeek) is an entrance leading to the SNCB/NMBS (heavy rail) southbound platforms of Schuman railway station. This entrance is located under the railway bridge with stairs up to the platforms.