Antwerp tram
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| Basic information | |
| Country | Belgium |
| city | Antwerp |
| opening | May 25, 1873 |
| operator | De Lijn |
| Infrastructure | |
| Route length | 75.4 km |
| Gauge | 1000 mm ( meter gauge ) |
| Power system | 600 volt DC overhead line |
| Stops | 158 |
| Tunnel stations | 12 |
| Depots | 2 |
| business | |
| Lines | 12 |
| Line length | 116.6 km |
| vehicles | 155 PCC , 74 HermeLijn |
| Top speed | 70 km / h |
| statistics | |
| Passengers | 120 million per year (2010) |
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The Antwerp tram has been operating as an electric tram in the Belgian city of Antwerp since 1902 . In addition to Brussels , Charleroi , Ghent and Ostend , Antwerp operates one of five Belgian tram systems. The network includes twelve lines that serve seven city districts and three neighboring communities. The tram has been operated by the Flemish transport company De Lijn since 1991 . From 1929 to 1964, the Antwerp trolleybus supplemented the tram.
history
The history of the Antwerp tram begins on May 25, 1873 with the opening of the first horse-drawn tram line . The first electric trams in regular service ran on September 2, 1902. In the first half of the 20th century, the Antwerp tram network was much more extensive than it is today. Line 1 ran along De Leien from Noorderplaats to what was then the southern station. Gradually, numerous tram lines were shut down and switched to bus operation. Until 1990, the Antwerp tram was operated by the Maatschappij voor het Intercommunaal Vervoer te Antwerpen (German: Society for intercommunal transport in Antwerp, MIVA). On January 1, 1991, MIVA was merged with Ghent MIVG and the Flemish part of NMVB to form the Flemish transport company De Lijn (German: Die Linie). In 1996 the first tunnel section, the Premetro section Hauptbahnhof ↔ Sportpaleis, was opened.
The first lines (1913)
In 1913 most of the lines that exist today were in operation, albeit with slightly different lines. A card from that year names the following lines:
| line | Line route 1913 | of which still in operation (2011) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Entrepot - Bank - Zuidstatie | shut down |
| 2 | Werf - Statie - Van Rijswijcklaan | Groenplaats - Belgiëlei - Van Rijswijcklaan |
| 3 | Zuidstation - Groenplaats - Statie - Schijnpoort ( 3 / : Merksem) | replaced by the Premetro and line 8 (Bolivarplaats - Groenplaats) |
| 4th | Groenplaats - Brederodestraat - Kiel ( 4 / : Hoboken) | still fully operational |
| 5 | Groenplaats - Lozanastraat - Dikke mee ( 5 / : Wilrijk) | shut down |
| 6th | Pothoek - Werf - Zuidstation | shut down (was initially converted to trolleybus) |
| 7th | Tolhuis - Bank - Berchem ( 7 / : Oude God) | still fully operational |
| 8th | Meir - Bank - Borsbeekpoort ( 8 / : Gitschotel) | still fully operational |
| 9 | Van Schoonbekeplein - Park - Berchem Statie | shut down |
| 10 | Melkmarkt - Statie - Zoo - Borgerhout ( 10 / : Deurne) | still fully operational |
| 11 | Melkmarkt - Statie - Zoo - Dageraadplaats | still fully operational |
| 12 | Statie Waas - Justitiepaleis | shut down |
| 13 | Zuid - pyrotechnics - petroolt tanks | shut down |
In contrast to later practice, the so-called deleted lines had longer routes than their respective main lines.
Overland railways
The overland railways in the province of Antwerp have had the same gauge as the trams since they were changed to meter gauge in 1920. This is why the overland railways have also used the tram tracks on some routes. Since 1935 overland railways ran through to Rooseveltplaats. Intercity trams also ran on the De Leien and Turnhoutsebaan streets, among others . When line 3 was later extended to Keizershoek, the track in the middle of the street from a former interurban tram line was used again.
Premetro
Antwerp had far-reaching plans to build a metro system in the early 1970s. First, an underground tunnel was opened between the Groenplaats and Plantin stops with the Meir , Opera and Diamant underground stations on May 25, 1975. First, trams had to run in the tunnels, later tunnels and stations, like in Brussels, were to be converted for the use of full underground trains . These plans for subway operations were abandoned, but more tram tunnels with smaller stations were drilled. The tunnels under the Turnhoutsebaan and the Kerkstraat remained in the shell and are not used. Later, the tunnel from Diamant to Schijnpoort and Sport was built and opened for tram lines 3, 5 and 6.
The major breakthrough for underground rail traffic came with the extension of the tunnel under the Scheldt to the Linkeroever district. Many visitors to Antwerp city center park their cars in large parking lots on the left bank of the Scheldt and take the tram to the city center.
Developments since 2000
Line 3 was extended twice in 2002. On February 16, 2002, the 4.3-kilometer line between Antwerp-Linkeroever and Zwijndrecht -Melsele was opened. On September 1, 2002, line 3 was extended by 1.6 kilometers from Merksem to Keizershoek. Large free parking spaces have been created at both terminals ( Park + Ride ).
A new tram line was opened on March 4, 2006: Line 5. This runs between Wim Saerensplein in Deurne and Katwilgweg in Linkeroever. On the route between Sportpaleis and Linkeroever , the new line uses the Premetro tunnel. Antwerp has had eleven tram lines since 2006, four of which ran through the tunnel.
This also had an impact on tram lines 12 and 24. Line 12 was shortened to the route between Sportpaleis and the Wendeschleife Montignystraat (Südbahnhof), the former terminus of line 24. Line 24 took over the route to Schoonselhof in Hoboken from line 12 .
On April 29, 2006, a new route was opened over the Amerikalei to the new terminus Bolivarplaats , which is located at the new courthouse. This terminal was served by line 12 Sportpaleis ↔ Bolivarplaats. This is not a completely new route: until 1965 it was served by lines 1 and 3, but at that time the south station was located at this point.
On May 2, 2007, line 8 was also extended to the Palace of Justice on Bolivarplaats.
On October 27, 2007, the network was expanded to include line 6 between Luchtbal (Metropolis) and Kiel (Olympic port). New infrastructure was not required for this line as it runs almost completely parallel to other tram lines. Only the route over the Groenendaallaan was originally an operating route for entry and exit journeys to the Punt aan de Lijn depot . Line 6 runs between the Sport and Plantin stations through the Premetro tunnel.
Line 8 has been running via Dascottelei and Herentalsebaan to Deurne Silsburg since May 15, 2009 and has thus been extended to the terminus of line 24.
On April 14, 2012, the extension to Wijnegem was put into operation. Lines 5 and 10 run on this route.
On May 2, 2012, tram traffic in the Nationalestraat was interrupted. Lines 4 and 8 were shortened.
On Monday, August 13, 2012, the extension of line 15 beyond Mortsel to Boechout went into operation.
Line network before August 31, 2012
| line | Line route | length | Travel time * | medium speed * |
Passengers * (2000) | Passengers * (2005) | Passengers ** (2010) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Linkeroever ( P&R ) ↔ Hoboken (Kioskplaats) | 12.4 km | 38 min | 20 km / h | 6.07 million | 10.27 million | 12.8 million |
| 3 | Zwijndrecht (Melsele Krijgsbaan) ↔ Merksem (Keizershoek) | 14.5 km | 40 min | 22 km / h | 4.59 million | 23.9 million | 31.4 million |
| 4th | Sint Pietersvliet ↔ Hoboken (kiosk plaats) | 7.6 km | 31 min | 15 km / h | 2.23 million | 3.89 million | 4.7 million |
| 5 | Wijnegem ↔ Linkeroever (P&R) | 13.5 km | 37 min | 26 km / h | nv | nv | 9.8 million *** |
| 6th | Metropolis ↔ Olympiad | 9.7 km | 35 min | 17 km / h | nv | nv | 6.3 million *** |
| 7th | Sint Pietersvliet ↔ Mortsel (Gemeenteplein) | 7.7 km | 28 min | 17 km / h | 2.56 million | 4.3 million | 6.5 million |
| 8th | Bolivarplaats ↔ Deurne (Silsburg) | 7.6 km | 31 min | 15 km / h | 3.01 million | 5.89 million | 8.9 million *** |
| 10 | Melkmarkt ↔ Wijnegem | 8.7 km | 30 min | 17 km / h | 2.78 million | 4.32 million | 5.1 million |
| 11 | Melkmarkt ↔ Deurne (Eksterlaar) | 6.1 km | 27 min | 14 km / h | 2.74 million | 4.25 million | 5.3 million |
| 12 | Sportpaleis ↔ Bolivarplaats | 5.8 km | 26 min | 13 km / h | 4.71 million | 7.79 million | 4.2 million *** |
| 15th | Linkeroever (P&R) ↔ Mortsel (Gemeenteplein) | 11 km | 33 min | 20 km / h | 5.39 million | 9.68 million | 13.1 million |
| 24 | Hoboken ( Schoonselhof ) ↔ Deurne (Silsburg) | 12 km | 50 min | 15 km / h | 3.52 million | 5.53 million | 11.9 million *** |
*** = no direct comparison possible because the line has changed compared to the 2005 figures
The Antwerp tram carried 120 million passengers in 2010 (of 547 million in Flanders and 208 million in the province of Antwerp).
Line network since September 1, 2012
On Saturday, September 1, 2012, various tram lines were modified, merged or abandoned. A new line 9 was introduced.
On February 4, 2013, lines 4 South (Hoboken - Marnixplaats) and 4 East (Groenplaats - Silsburg), which had been running under the same line number since September 1, 2012, were combined into one long line (Hoboken - Silsburg).
| line | Line route | length | Travel time * | medium speed * |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Merksem (Keizershoek P&R ) ↔ Hoboken (Kioskplaats) | 14.2 km | 48 min | 18 km / h |
| 3 | Zwijndrecht (Melsele Krijgsbaan) ↔ Merksem (Keizershoek P&R) | 14.2 km | 38 min | 22 km / h |
| 4th | Hoboken (Kioskplaats) ↔ Silsburg | 14.6 km | 62 min | 14 km / h |
| 5 | Wijnegem ↔ Linkeroever (P&R) | 13.5 km | 39 min | 21 km / h |
| 6th | Metropolis ↔ Olympiad | 10.2 km | 34 min | 18 km / h |
| 7th | Sint Pietersvliet ↔ Mortsel (Gemeenteplein) | 7.7 km | 29 min | 16 km / h |
| 8th | Astrid - Wommelgem P + R | ? km | ? min | ? km / h |
| 9 | Linkeroever (P&R) ↔ Deurne (Eksterlaar) | 9 km | 25 min | 22 km / h |
| 10 | Melkmarkt ↔ Wijnegem | 8.5 km | 30 min | 17 km / h |
| 11 | Melkmarkt ↔ Berchem train station | 4.2 km | 19 min | 13 km / h |
| 12 | Sportpaleis ↔ Zuid | 5.9 km | 26 min | 14 km / h |
| 15th | Linkeroever (P&R) ↔ Boechout (P + R Capenberg) | 13.9 km | 44 min | 19 km / h |
| 24 | Hoboken ( Schoonselhof ) ↔ Deurne (Silsburg) | 12.3 km | 48 min | 15 km / h |
Trams with a black line background and yellow letters go to one of the depots. There are depots in the Luchtbal district ( Punt aan de Lijn ) in the north of the city and in Hoboken ( Zwaantjes ). A new depot was put into operation on April 14, 2012 in Deurne near the Erdbrugge stop .
There are reversible loops at all terminals as well as under the Sportpaleis (in the Premetro tunnel), at the main station , at the Koninklijkelaan in Berchem , at the Leopoldplaats (National Bank), at the Marnixplaats in Antwerp-South, at the Lambermontplaats (also in Antwerp South), at the Südbahnhof ( Montignystraat), on the Stenennbrug (Turnhoutsebaan at the beginning of the E313), in Berchem Groenehoek (Borsbeekbrug) and on Groenplaats. At the moment there are also turning loops at the former terminus of line 5 (Wim Saerensplein) and line 10 (Schotensteenweg).
Lines 2, 3, 5, 6, 9 and 15 run through the Premetro tunnel under the city center and, with the exception of lines 2 and 6, also through the tunnel under the Scheldt.
Planning
All the projects mentioned are part of the so-called Brabo tramway projects .
Plans already implemented
- Line to Wijnegem: In 2009, preparatory work began on Turnhoutsebaan (Deurne) to extend line 10 to Wijnegem . Line 5 should be connected at the intersection with the Ruggeveldlaan. (Brabo I - put into operation on April 14, 2012)
- 2010–2012: Extension of line 15 to Boechout . (Brabo I - put into operation on August 13, 2012, the end point is a turning loop at the eastern corner of the intersection of Liersesteenweg and Borsbeeksesteenweg)
- 2010–2012: Deurne depot (connection to the Deurne - Wijnegem line) (Brabo I - put into operation on April 14, 2012)
Extension from Mortsel to Boechout. Here on the Liersesteenweg (Dec. 2010)
Tracks on the Noorderlaan under construction
The new Gleisdreieck at the Ruggeveld stop, where lines 5 and 10 come together
New Ruggeveld stop, temporarily used as a bus stop
New final loop in Boechout
Master plan
In addition to a number of investments in road and waterway construction, the traffic master plan for Antwerp also provides for the extension and construction of tram routes:
- 2012–2015: Tram line to the Ekeren border and tram to Eilandje and in Brusselstraat (between Bolivarplaats and Südbahnhof). Execution in the Brabo II project.
- 2012–2015: Construction of the Noorderleien, with its own track structure. Execution in the Brabo II project.
- 2013–2014: route to Beveren. The execution is combined with the construction of the N 70.
- 2013–2014: Completion of the entire route Sint-Pietersvliet ↔ Havenhuis, so that the employees of the recently completed havenhuis can take the train to work.
- After 2015: Extension of line 24 to Hemiksem .
- After 2015: Extension of line 15 to Kontich .
- After 2015: Extension of line 2 to the north of Linkeroever.
- After 2015: Further extension of lines 5 and 10 to the Schilde border .
- After 2015: Extension of line 11 via Borsbeek to Wommelgem .
- After 2015: Further extension of line 24 from Schoonselhof to Schelle .
- After 2015: tram route from Bolivarplaats to the still-to-be-built district of Nieuw-Zuid.
- After 2015: Extension of the tram route to Ekeren on to Leugenberg.
Pegasus plan
The Pegasus plan for the future of public transport in Flanders from 2004 provides for the commissioning of the unused Premetro tunnel under the Turnhoutsebaan to Borgerhout in Antwerp. This tunnel is to be connected to today's route 24 via a tunnel ramp on the Herentalsebaan. The new line would then be extended from today's terminal in Silsburg to the roundabout and P + R square in Wommelgem. The above-ground tram route on the Turnhoutsebaan is to be retained, however, as this plan only envisages the opening of one of the Zegel tunnel stops . This will turn the new underground connection into a premetry line. Line 10 is to remain entirely above ground for the time being.
Vehicle fleet
The gauge of the Antwerp tram network is 1000 millimeters ( meter gauge ) and the driving voltage is 600 volts . The network is for setting car designed: There are no crossovers and the tunnels any signals to the opposite track. Until the introduction of the PCC car in the 1960s, power was supplied via roller pantographs . After that, the system switched to scissor pantographs .
Between 1960 and 1974 MIVA procured 165 four-axle PCC wagons (spread over 5 orders) from La Brugeoise et Nivelles (BN) in Brugge and from ACEC in Charleroi . A large part of these lifts was renewed in the 1990s when the Hermelijn lifts were introduced in order to make them compatible for use on tunnel routes. New doors, a coupling system, new seats and a chopper control were installed. These cars are to be used for some time to come. Twenty of the oldest PCC series were scrapped. The very first car is operational in the Vlaams Tram en Autobusmuseum in the Berchem district . The modernized PCC wagons always run in double traction on line 24 and occasionally also on lines 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 11.
In November 2009, 229 railcars were in use, 155 of them PCC cars and 74 HermeLijn cars, which are mainly used on lines 2, 3, 5, 8, 11 and 15. These low-floor trams , which are largely identical in construction to the NGT6DD articulated multiple units used in Dresden , have been manufactured by Bombardier at the Bautzen plant since 1999 . The latest HermeLijn generation, which is equipped with a lift for wheelchair users and an automatic stop announcement, runs on lines 3, 5 and 15.
At the end of 2011, 13 Hermelijn trams were delivered, so the last option from the delivery contract was redeemed. There are now plans to renew and expand the vehicle fleet. There are Flexity 2 procured because the type Hermelijn is no longer produced.
The next binding order was placed with the manufacturer CAF in 2017 after the Raad van State rejected objections from the unsuccessful bidder Bombardier . Of the 146 Urbos 100 vehicles ordered , 66 are destined for Antwerp.
PCC car in the city center
HermeLijn low-floor tram in the city center
Interior view of a HermeLijn lift
Web links
- Tram network Antwerp 2018 (PDF)
- Figures on traffic in Antwerp. (PDF; 994 kB) From page 29: Passenger numbers for buses and trams
- Interactive map of the Antwerp tram network
- De Lijn (Antwerp)
- Passenger numbers 2010 according to lines Forum contribution about a report from Gazet van Antwerpen (original article not available online)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Antwerp sees long-awaited opening of tram line 8. flandersnews.de, April 18, 2015, accessed on April 21, 2015 .
- ↑ Only line 15 will be extended, not line 7, this can be seen on the timetable boards along the route.
- ↑ Information board ( Memento from May 30, 2012 in the web archive archive.today )
- ↑ Municipality of Mortsel, municipal development plan Stadsplein ( Memento of the original from July 31, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 3.3 MB)
- ↑ Article. In: Gazet van Antwerpen , January 27, 2011
