After nearly two decades of planning, delays, frustrations and missed deadlines, the city of Liège and its surrounding municipalities will finally get their own tram line from Monday.
"Unless a meteorite falls on Liège, it will run," the communications director of Walloon transport operator TEC promised Sudinfo on Wednesday.
Belgium's fourth largest city has been without a functioning tram network since 1967, when the line closed due to a lack of investment. The city, which even boasts a completely abandoned but otherwise functioning metro system, is known to be a blackhole for infrastructure projects.
As of 2023, around 190,000 passengers ride the province's approximately 4,000 bus stops each day, which bring travellers in from areas around the Meuse to the city centre. The bus network has been under significant strain in recent years, faced with high demand and a shortage of employees.
The city's plans to reinstate its tram network have been in the works since 2008, but it took another 11 years of negotiations for construction to actually begin.
Repeated delays
Local residents fumed as the completion date was pushed back on four occasions, from an initial completion date of October 2022, all the way to 28 April 2025, which TEC assures is the final opening date. Costs related to the project have spiralled, now reaching €785 million – around €250 million more than originally planned.
Roadworks associated with the city's largest infrastructure project snarled up traffic across Liège until late 2023. Setbacks to the project included the Covid-19 pandemic, floods, material shortages, rising wage costs, and other technical issues.
TEC hopes that each tram will replace three or four buses, carrying 20% more passengers in greater comfort. The new tram network spans nearly 12 kilometres of track with three terminals, 23 stations and up to 18 trams running during the peak hours. 86 TEC employees will split their time between operating buses and trams.
First conceived in 2008, nearly two decades late, Liège's tram network will welcome passengers from Monday. Credit: TEC
TEC aims for a 30% reduction in road traffic in the city centre, though it remains to be seen if it will achieve this target. From Monday, Liège will also enjoy eight new transport hubs, as well as four new bus routes. TEC says that it will attempt to synchronise the timings between certain bus routes and the tram to allow for connections.
Travelling between 19-20 kilometres per hour in the city centre, the tram will cost the same as a standard bus fare and TEC season tickets, multi-trip tickets, and paper tickets will be equally valid on the new tram service. The company promises that the tram service will run from 05:00 until 01:00, Monday to Sunday, all year round.
According to TEC, the project has led to the redevelopment of around 50 hectares of additional space across Liège, particularly providing new green spaces and cycle paths. Nearly a third of all the tram tracks will run on grassy areas. In city areas, the tram line has been constructed atop cobblestone slabs. Trams for the network have been supplied by Spanish manufacturer CAF, such as those used on Flemish operator De Lijn's coastal tram.
Teething problems
While the Walloon transport operator is finally confident that the line will be in operation from Monday, there are already suggestions that it is still experiencing teething problems.
Trams have already been running along the network as part of a "test-mode" since February 2025, during which time the system struggled to synchronise the traffic light system and safety systems.
Credit: TEC
Just days before the planned launch, TEC employees complained to the local press that communications systems were not working as intended and the trams were still running red lights. On Wednesday, trams had to be recalled back to their depot due to the issues on board.
During the early stages of the tram's operation, local passengers may also experience increased waiting times between services.
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Transport unions have already announced that they will not be able to keep up with the advertised timetable and will start work in a "reduced mode." According to union representatives, this means the service will not be "optimal" and instead of trams every four and half minutes during rush hour, the service is more likely to be every five or six minutes.
"Not everything is perfect yet," TEC spokesperson Daniel Wathelet told Sudinfo. "There are still adjustments that need to be made along the line. And the people of Liège need to get used to it and stop crossing in front of it at the last minute, which slows it down."
Full information about the planned tram timetable can be found on TEC's official website. Just one day after the launch, TEC workers will participate in a national strike, closing the line all day on 29 April.
