The Brussels Waterbus will resume its journey on 1 May, after the service was maintained under the plans of the new Brussels Government, but it will be geared towards tourism.
The Waterbus runs between May and October every year from Sainctelette on the Brussels canal and the centre of Vilvoorde. This year, the service will begin again on 1 May.
According to Bruzz, Brussels Mobility Minister Elke Van den Brandt (Groen) was quizzed over the service in the Brussels Parliament Mobility Committee by Geoffroy Coomans (MR), about how the service was being used.
In response Minister Van den Brandt confirming that it is mainly used by tourists rather than commuters. This is because the route takes one hour, and the same route is covered by the railway line, which takes just 10 minutes to Brussels-North.
The route is also considerably more popular in the summer months compared to October, before the service is halted for the winter.
"The Waterbus makes sense for tourist development," the minister told the committee. "There are no plans to convince a large number of people to use them for daily trips. That is a completely different model, which requires investments in other boats and jetties."
Plans to integrate Waterbus tickets into the popular cultural subscription, the Museum Passes, which gives access to dozens of museums, are also under consideration.
The Brussels-Charleroi canal is home to the Waterbus between Sainclette and Vilvoorde. Credit: Belga
Coomans believes it is a step backwards to only target tourism and not develop the service into a fully fledged transport alternative, criticising the 10k/h speed of the boat.
Last year saw a decrease in the number of passengers. The Waterbus carried just under 27,000 passengers, fewer than in 2023 (41,000) and 2024 (46,000).
This decrease can be explained, among other things, by the fact that the service in 2025 was reduced due to the lack of the Brussels Government, which had threatened the service’s resumption last year, reports Bruzz.
From 1 May to 30 June, 2026, the boat will sail on weekdays. During the summer period, from 1 July to 15 August, she sails daily.
