The launch of the new tramway in Liège, Belgium, was the occasion for the publication of this book, subtitled ‘A rediscovered heritage, a future in motion’, which commemorates the beginnings of local rail transport there with a horse-drawn tramway and the decades-long existence of electric transport.
The number of these was astonishingly diverse, as can be seen in the first five chapters of the book: two companies for inner-city and neighbourhood transport on standard gauge and later a trolleybus, as well as two companies for suburban and interurban transport, including RELSE in the Meuse valley on standard gauge and the nationwide national (interurban) light railway company SNCV on metre gauge from the city out into the region. Forty-five pages then show the comparison between three periods: the old situation until the 1960s – the situation without rails and overhead lines – and the new tram system. This follows sections of the former routes of the municipal companies and RELSE, which allows for interesting comparisons. The last chapter attempts to look into the future, although the outlook for the expansion of the tram system is currently poor, as political opinion has changed once again.
The result is a well-designed and printed book with numerous good photos. Knowledge of the French language is certainly an advantage for understanding the content, although many of the image comparisons are self-explanatory. There are also several maps providing information on the route.
Author: Frederick Georges
Editorial: Kozo Edition, Brüssel (BE) 2025
112 pages, format 21.0 x 30.0 cm, hardback
Text: french
Price: 35.00 €
ISBN: none
04.11.2025
