An over-a-decade-long story is set to drag on further. Originally scheduled for completion in October 2022, budgetary problems mean that the opening of a TEC tram network in Liège is now delayed until January 31, 2025, Le Soir reports.
Previous estimates put the completion date for some time in April 2024, but this has since been ruled out. After a fresh round of talks between the TEC group and private consortium a new date for the start of tests was set in August 2024. By November 2023, it is hoped that the roadworks which have plagued the city centre will also be removed.
Passengers will not be able to board any tram service until January 31 2025, so long as the network does not encounter any serious problems during the testing period. The planned tram project is an important part of the redevelopment plans for the city and local businesses are counting on TEC to open its services within the next year and a half.
Liège is infamously a black hole for infrastructure projects. There was once a functioning tram network in the city, but it was closed in 1967.
Another testament to wasted potential is Liège’s aborted metro system, which was started but never opened due to arguments over regional investment. The network sits abandoned and the tunnels are used as storage spaces.
The new tram network has faced a series of major setbacks including the Covid-19 pandemic, floods, shortages, rising material costs, inflation, and increased wage costs. This all had an impact on the finances of the project, leading to successive delays. Wallonia had initially imagined an investment of €450 million.
The tram infrastructure is currently being built by the company Tram-Ardent while TEC-Liège will manage the operation of the network, paying profits to the infrastructure company. The tram line will snake along the banks of the Meuse River, connecting the centre of the city to some of the suburbs.
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The project almost folded under the weight of pressure in recent years. The tram depot faced massive delays and even stopped entirely at some points. Regional funding was withheld until the line became functional. Private companies struggled to keep up with deadlines and banks withheld funding for the project.
In light of these difficulties, the Walloon Government will now step in to help keep the project afloat. The region will give €79 million “to allow the completion of work and putting the trams into circulation.” This will give Tram-Ardent some more financial leeway to complete the project without further delays.
