BELGIUM: Construction of a tramway extension to improve access to the Neder-Over-Heembeek district of northern Brussels was launched with a groundbreaking ceremony on January 18.
The future 9·6 km tram Route 10 will use existing track from Rogier to Van Praet and 5·5 km of new alignment with 10 stops to reach the terminus at Hôpital Militaire.
Mayor of Brussels Philippe Close said Route 10 would provide Heembeek with better links to and from the city centre, as part of a programme to put facilities such as schools, nurseries, sports and cultural centres and shops within 10 min of Brussels residents’ homes.
Utility companies have used the project to carry out maintenance and repair work ahead of construction of the tramway, which is scheduled to open in autumn 2024. Operator STIB said the route would have a capacity of 2 400 passengers/h.
‘Brussels is evolving and the needs of its inhabitants with it’, said STIB CEO Brieuc de Meeûs. ‘STIB must therefore be there to respond. Tram 10 is one of these answers. It will offer ecological and quality transport by connecting this booming part of the city to the rest of the Brussels-Capital Region.’
