The Brussels government now believes the new Metro 3 line will not be operational before 2034, but in the meantime tram line 55 is becoming increasingly congested. Brussels Mobility and local transport company MIVB have looked at 13 above-ground options to remedy this.
The various options are set out in a memo to be discussed by the Brussels government tomorrow. It’s still assumed that the new metro line from North to Bordet will be built and completed by 2034 at the earliest, although the Brussels government is already factoring in further delays.
The delays put further pressure on tram line 55. This line is gradually becoming saturated, and suffers from flow problems, making regularity and service problematic.
Brussels Mobility, the Brussels mobility agency, and the MIVB have formulated thirteen scenarios to reduce congestion, at least for the time being. They range from deploying larger trams, to merging several lines, new terminus stops, additional bus lines and the strengthening of the bicycle network.
Quickly, most options turn out to be technically difficult to implement, very expensive or impossible within a timeframe of less than 10 years.
The Brussels government is proposing options in anticipation of metro 3. When metro 3 is operational, the tram and bus network will have to be reconsidered anyway.
Strengthening the bus network
A new tram line parallel to tram 55 is an option. The tram line would run via the Haachtsesteenweg towards Bordet. It would cost an extra 7.3 million euros, not including rolling stock and operational costs. However, the line would not be ready before 2032.
But proposals also consider the strengthening of the bus network, to alleviate pressure on tram 55, or the merger of tram line 4 (from Stalle to North), with tram 55, which would restore a line from Schaarbeek to Ukkel, like the original tram 55, which was limited to the North Station in 2008, but this option has the disadvantage of importing the difficulties experienced by tram 55 to tram line 4. The MIVB is not in favour.
Delete parking spaces
There’s another proposal: keep tram 55 at North Station above ground and link it to the future tram line to Thurn & Taxis.
Numerous less expensive proposals have been formulated too. One is to improve the regularity of tram 55 by better regulating lights at intersections, introducing circulation plans and eliminating parking spaces on streets where there is a high rotation, for example on Helmetsesteenweg, a shopping street. It is the most obvious solution, but one that the MIVB believes will not be sufficient.
A lot cheaper is the idea of strengthening the bicycle network in the north-east of Brussels. This could be done by building a bus and bike axis on the Haachtsesteenweg, similar to the one on the Kroonlaan, costing €13.5 million. Together with bicycle highways along railway lines in this part of Brussels (lines 26 and 36), this could generate up to 1,000 cyclists per hour.
Finally, an awareness campaign is also proposed, to encourage tram passengers to take the train say to Bordet or other means of transport.
