Tram returns to Liège after 60 years - but won't be extended

Trams have returned to Belgium’s fifth largest city, Liège, for the first time since 1967 - but plans to extend the network further in the future have already been abandoned.

The new tram line has been a long time coming, with work starting on the scheme back in 2019. Completion was delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic, among other obstacles.

“It’s a historic day,” said Liège mayor Willy Demeyer. “It comes 60 years almost to the day after the end of the old tramway.” For Demeyer, the tram is a “personal satisfaction and a great relief”.

“This tram will revolutionise mobility, environmental and economic habits,” he said.

Eventually thousands of users are expected to use the tram in Wallonia’s second most densely populated city with 2,845 inhabitants per square kilometre.

Some 50 hectares of public space have also been redeveloped as part of the project, first conceived in 2007.

“It’s taken time but we’re there now,” added Demeyer.

However, initial plans for the 12km route to be extended further to Herstal and Seraing, towns served by the old tram, have been scrapped this week by the Walloon government on cost grounds - a move that has been condemned by both towns' mayors and green politicians.

Meanwhile, at the tram's inauguration, one enthusiastic onlooker, former Walloon mobility minister Philippe Henry, was delighted that the project, in real jeopardy at one point, had finally been launched: “It’s a great source of pride, today the city is truly transformed.”

Tests will continue for a few more months to check the electrical system works properly, that the tram can fit into the tight spaces of the old town centre, and at different speeds. The official opening is scheduled for 31 January 2025.

This will give Liège residents time to get used to this new means of transport – one that has unfortunately been the source of frequent accidents – especially as pedestrians, cyclists and people on scooters will no longer be able to cross the road any way they like. It is forbidden to walk or ride on tram tracks and, trams, unlike buses, always have priority.

“I’ve always been a cyclist, so the tram does not scare me,” one seasoned cyclist told RTBF. “On the other hand, those who are not used to it will have to be extra careful, paying attention to roundabouts, priorities and junctions, and watch out for the new signs.”

Liège tram spokesman Daniel Wathelet agreed: “The tram is less dangerous than other forms of transport, and if you do not park or walk on the tram tracks all will be well. But don’t forget that the tram is 45 metres long and weighs 64 tonnes, so it needs 30 metres to stop.”

He told the RTBF that people hard of hearing were a high-risk group for accidents as trams are quiet, so they would not hear them crossing their path. To combat this problem he said: "The tram is equipped with a gong and a powerful horn."

Photo: Laurent Cavenati/Belga