Liege tram makes first test run

At 11.00 on 10 October the first Liege tram to operate outside the depot made its first test run to the future Coronmeuse terminus. 

 

The seven-section 45.4m CAF Urbos double-ended tram 5101 is the first of 20 cars delivered to the Belgian city for the tramway project. 

 

Liege’s last tram disappeared in November 1967, but increasing motor traffic in the city of 200 000 led to the adoption of the EUR 360M, 11.7km, project linking Sclessin and Coronmeuse, that is being designed, built and financed by the Tram Ardent consortium of CAF/COLAS under a 31-year contract. 

 

Wallonnie was originally to contribute EUR 450M, but a mediator has now increased this to EUR 529M, with the increase contingent on the progress of work. The operator will be Walloon regional transport company TEC and passenger service is now likely to start in January 2025 (originally April 2024 was pencilled in for the start). 

 

There was a first-generation tramway in Liege from 1871 until 1967, and for a while it seemed a metro would be built, with some tunnelling work carried out. However this project was aborted and the new tramway adopted in 2011.