After decades of discussion, planning, preparation, re-planning and finally construction, the time has finally come: the Belgian city of Liège now has a modern means of rail transport again. A state-of-the-art low-floor tram is set to significantly improve transport conditions in the city as an attractive incentive to increase the use of public transport.
The city has a long tradition as an industrial centre in the Walloon region of Belgium. Around 196,000 inhabitants live in the urban area today, with just under 600,000 in the surrounding area. Trams played an important role in urban transport until the 1960s, but were all discontinued by 1967/68 – in line with the prevailing trend at the time. They were replaced by buses (including trolleybuses until 1971).
In order to significantly improve the transport situation in the area, which was heavily affected by industrial structural change, the introduction of a fully-fledged, largely underground metro was planned for a long time, and an initial tunnel section of around 700 metres was even built under the Quai Sant-Léonard and the Quai de la Batte.
Plans for a modern tram
Financial considerations and the realisation that it would not be possible to fully develop the urban area for decades at a reasonable cost ultimately led to the decision to introduce a modern tram system in Liège.
The first line of the new network, which is to be extended in the future, is a modern low-floor line that runs for 11.7 kilometres from the Sclessin/Standard stop to Coronmeusse and Breussoux (Liège Expo) in the north-east. It runs approximately 90% on its own right-of-way with grass track in many places. Traffic light priority at junctions ensures a speedy journey. A total of 23 stops are served. Sections without overhead lines are between the stops Blonden and Général Leman, Opéra and Curtius (opposite direction: Pont Maghin to Opéra) and between Droixhe and Pont Atlas as well as between Droixhe and Parc Reine Astrid (the latter only as service connection).
Another map is available here: https://www.urbanrail.net/eu/be/liege/liege.htm
Construction work began at the end of 2018, with test runs starting in October 2023 and reaching the city centre in August 2024 (we reported HERE). The Tram’Ardent consortium, which consists of Colas Belgium, Colas Projects, Colas Rail Belgium, CAF Investment Projects – a subsidiary of the Spanish rail vehicle manufacturer Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) – and the Dutch investment fund DIF Infrastructure V, has taken on the construction and subsequent operation for 27 years. The project costs, totalling EUR 430 million, will essentially (EUR 380 million) be reimbursed to the consortium in various tranches as part of a public-private partnership agreement (PPP), supported by payment modalities, some of which included are structured depending on performance criteria related to the operating and maintenance standard achieved.
The opening
The final opening date has been postponed several times, but hopefully this will soon be forgotten: On 25 April 2025, Willy Demeyer, Mayor of the City of Liège; François Desquesnes, Walloon Minister for Mobility, Territory, Infrastructure and Local Authorities; Robert De Groot, Vice-President of the European Investment Bank; Michel Rucquois, Managing Director of Tram’Ardent, and Jean-Michel Soors, Managing Director of TEC, officially inaugurated the new system – alongside numerous other guests – and since around 4.20 a.m. today, 28 April, the new trams have been running on schedule on the line at 5-6 minute intervals. The rush was great throughout the day, which gives hope for a high level of acceptance among the population. On 29 April, however, the people of Liège had to live without the tramway for another day, triggered by an announced general strike in the transport sector.
The vehicles
Twenty seven-section, 45.4 metre long and 2.65 metre wide low-floor trams from Spanish manufacturer CAF are in Liége – 18 of them are in service during the rush hour in the morning. They offer a total passenger capacity of 310 – 62 of whom are seated. They have been in operation in the city since 2022 (see: https://www.urban-transport-magazine.com/en/liege-the-first-tram-has-arrived/ ) and allow operation on the above mentioned catenary-free sections. Further trains are to be procured for future extensions. However, shorter extension options at the two outer end points were only rejected last year for budget reasons. At the same time, Liège wants to set up a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) network.
