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A new tram line to Tour & Taxis

A new tram line to Tour & Taxis

2013-07-18 – The Brussels Regional Council of Ministers has agreed to the development of a new tram line linking the Tour & Taxis site to the Gare du Nord railway station and to the ‘tramification’ of the current bus route 71 between Delta and Porte de Namur. In response to a further proposal from the Brussels Minister of Public Works and Transport, the regional government has agreed in principle to the creation of a link between these two routes. Ultimately, a new tram line will be created, crossing the entire Region diagonally from the North-West (Bockstael) to the South-East (Delta). 

The completion of the three projects is included in the management contract of the transport company STIB-MIVB. The Regional Minister of Public Works and Transport believes that “The new tram projects are a response to the growing demand for public transport in our Region, due to the increasing population and the development of the Delta and Tour & Taxis zones.”

New bridge over the Canal

The Tour & Taxis site can currently be reached by public transport via bus routes 14, 57 and 88. In order to maximise the chances of the development in progress on the site, a tram line will link it with the communication hubs of the Gare du Nord and the Place Bockstael.

The new tram line will be 3 kilometres long. The new Picard bridge, starting at the end of Rue Picard, will enable the Canal to be crossed. This structure, costing 8.8 million euros, will be financed by Beliris(*). The entire project, including the bridge, will cost around 41 million euros. In addition to the development of the rail infrastructure, this amount covers the redevelopment of the road system and public space.

The construction of the bridge is scheduled for 2015. The other work will begin in 2018 and the line will be brought into service in 2020. Finally, for the creation of a link between the two routes, namely between the Gare du Nord and the Porte de Namur, STIB-MIVB will be responsible for examining possible routes.

(*) Cooperation agreement between the Federal State and the Brussels-Capital Region relating to initiatives to promote the international role and function as a capital of Brussels.