Flanders has given the go-ahead for the environmental permit allowing the airport tram to pass through Machelen and Zaventem, bringing the project one step closer to realisation.
Another permit for the tram that will connect Brussels Airport to the city centre has been granted, Flemish Environment Minister Zuhal Demir (N-VA) announced on Friday. Currently, the tramline stops at the NATO building on Avenue Léopold III, but with this approval, it will be extended to the airport.
"It is crazy that we still do not have a tram connection between Brussels and Zaventem airport. That is why we building the missing link to finally establish a smooth connection," Demir said.
Extensive works
With the new line, a ride from Brussels North to Zaventem by tram will take about 30 minutes, over a stretch of 12 kilometres, of which eight kilometres in tram tracks are already in place. The remaining four are yet to be built, the largest part of which will be located in Flanders.
The permit to build a stretch of tramline running from the NATO roundabout to the border with Flanders – some 400 metres of the route that runs through Brussels territory – had already been given earlier this year. Now, the construction for the rest of the section, which runs through Flanders, has also been authorised.
Credit: Werken aan de Ring / Pascal Smet's office
Demir noted the works will be extensive. Specifically, it involves the construction of a tram bed parallel to the A201 and a complete reconstruction of some local and regional roads in the second municipalities, with additional tunnels and bridges. "This is also good news for cyclists, as cycle bridges and tunnels will also be created," Demir said.
Construction work was originally scheduled to start in early 2024, but this has been pushed back to sometime between late 2025 and early 2026. Now that the permits are in place, the tendering process to find a contractor should start.
The works are estimated to take four years, meaning the first passengers will be able to board the new tram between 2029 and 2030. The tram has the potential to transport some 10,000 passengers per day.
